The Traumatized Person
by InuyashasGrl26
Summary: It's a new school year for Kagome and her friends. But then a newcomer attends the same one. Not just that, that person might have an unknown connection to Kagome.
1. Chapter 1

**That Traumatized Person**

It's a new school year for Kagome and her friends. But then a newcomer attends the same one. Not just that, that person might have an unknown connection to Kagome.

 **Chapter 1: New Year; New School**

The sun begins to rises its warmth throughout the neighborhood. As such an alarm goes off to a tune to alert its sleeper to wake up. "Ok, ok." The sleeping individual murmurs as it reaches from under the covers of the bed. That's when the person gets its head out as well. "Honestly, why can't school start later on in the day?" she complains as she turns off the alarm. She stretches her body out and looks out the window, to see the sun rising over the horizon. "Seriously…" She moans as she covers her eyes.

A knock on the door gets her immediate attention. "Come in." She allows the visitor to enter. The door opens up to reveal a bit older girl. "Think you'll pull it off, Kagome?" She asks as she walks in. Kagome groans instead, "I don't get it why it was so easy for you to get through school Kikyo?" She complains at her. Kikyo shakes her head, "Beats me. But it was hard for me to get through nonetheless. The only thing that's hard for you is going through the teenage years." She answers as she sees the nice school uniforms that Kagome has to wear for the school. The uniform has a white sailor top that's green with a red ribbon. And the green skirt is down to her knees, along with a pair of white stockings and shoes. "At least your uniforms are better than mine." Kikyo teases.

Kagome stares through her reflection of her mirror that she's brushes her long raven black hair. Over the years, Kagome has grown about a foot as well as her body began to shape and fold into the proper figure of an hourglass. Not only that her hair has grown quite long as well. It grew down to the middle of her back. A few years ago, the length was passed the shoulders. "Fifteen and a freshmen. Not my cup of tea." Kagome replies as she takes the one uniform and goes into the bathroom to change. All Kikyo does is sighs as she is in the same wardrobe for she's a junior on her part. Her figure changed just a little, compared to her previous look a few years ago. Her straight coal black has grown so long that it's down to her thighs. Crazy enough, thanks to that, it made sure that she and Kagome are like twins expect the hair.

About ten minutes after getting changed, Kagome and Kikyo make it to the kitchen to see what their mother is making for them this morning. "Morning, girls." Ai greets them as she sets down to plates of toast in front of them. "Morning, mom." Kagome responds before taking a bite of the toast. "So what are you going to do throughout the freshmen year?" Ai asks as she grabs herself a plate. Kagome frowns. "I don't know. There's so much to do that I can't decide." She takes another bite. A meow gets her attention. Kagome looks down to see Buyo rubbing his head onto her leg. Kagome automatically smiles. "Hi, Buyo." She scratches his chin. Buyo grown big a strong on his part.

"What about you, Kikyo? You do know that you have one more year until college." Hige reminds her as he puts down his cup of coffee. Kikyo sighs, "Honestly dad, I don't what I should do for the rest of my life." Hige just nods. "Just take your time, dear. It'll come by before you know it." He encourages her. Kikyo smiles for her father's confidence. "We might as well get going." The girls get their school bags as head out the door.

Kagome and Kikyo walk a few blocks in a different direction where the high school is. "So what was freshmen year like for you?" Kagome asks Kikyo as she tries to make sure she doesn't screw up on her first day. Kikyo holds her chin, "Well for starters, you might have challenges throughout the time." She begins as she pulls out something out of her school bag. Kagome turns her sight to see her pull out a sutra. "I just bring with me to keep me at ease." She passes it to Kagome. "I thought it might help you as well." Kagome smiles as she puts the sutra into her own schoolbag. "The classes as going to be a bit harder, but don't worry I still have my old school work if you know what I mean." Kikyo winks at her coyly. Kagome smiles back, knowing that is the truth.

The high school is in view for the girls. "So that's Shikon High?" Kagome asks as they enter the building. Kikyo nods, thinking back to the times she attended the building. They looked to the walls to see the flyers with the students' names, their year, and which class they have to go to so far. "Looks like we're going our separate ways." Kikyo informs Kagome as she has to go to the direction where her homeroom is on one side of the building. And for that, Kagome is on her own. Taking her sister's advice, Kagome looks back to the flyer that has her name is one. "So I'm in 2-3." She mumbles as she makes her way to the assigned room on the second floor. She opens up the door to see that there's a few other students are here as well, in the same outfit. The guys' uniform is a that of a pair of khaki pants, and the top is a white short-sleeve blouse with a green neck tie. Seeing a free desk by the windowsill. She gets herself comfortable and goes through her colorings. So far a few pages have been completed in such beautiful designs of the flowers, cats and everything in between. She gets into her pencil box and pulls out a magenta pencil to resume on her half done page. "Another year of boredom. How fun." She spoke sarcastically.

"Oh come on, Kagome. There's going to be a whole lots of stuff that is fun." A voice gets her attention. She turns her gaze to see it's Sango. "Sango. Oh man I missed you throughout the summer." Kagome hugs her happily. At least she's not alone for the time being. Sango giggles, "Sorry, I was at karate camp throughout the summer." She sits in her desk next to Kagome's. "Have you try getting a hold of Miroku or Inuyasha at all?" Kagome asks her. Sango frowns a little, "Thanks to my camp throughout the summer, I hardly had any time to call you guys." She shakes her head. Kagome nods with a sigh, "It's okay. I guess summer is something that someone wants to do for the time of the year." She rests her chin onto her hand's palm.

So far Kagome and Sango talked among themselves until the other students entered the room. "Oh look, Inuyasha." Miroku elbows the guys' side to pay attention. "What now, Miroku. I'm not too thrilled about this school year." Inuyasha complains to him. Miroku points to the girls with his thumb, Inuyasha follows the direction to see none other than Kagome. Just seeing made him smile. 'She's here.'


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2: An Unfamiliar Face**

Inuyasha just couldn't believe seeing Kagome talking with Sango. "I didn't know she'd be here." He leans to Miroku. He widens his eyes to see Miroku drooling, which begins to freak him out. "Sango…" He speaks as if he's possessed but a demon. "You know she's right there." Inuyasha waves his hand in front of him. "I know. I'm just admiring her beauty." He keeps on drooling. Inuyasha growls as he just grabs Miroku's ear and drags him to the girls.

Sango turns to see Inuyasha dragging Miroku by the ear, "Kami, Inuyasha. Let go of my ear." Miroku slaps Inuyasha's grip and rubs it quickly. Inuyasha shakes his head. "Just get your head out of the gutter, lecture." Kagome turns her sight to see Inuyasha coming towards them. "Oh hi there Inuyasha." She waves to him shyly. Inuyasha blushes a little while rubbing the back of his neck. "I see they allow you here as a hanyou at school?" Sango asks him casually. Kagome blinks up to see that Sango is right about him. Unlike back at middle school, Inuyasha and Sesshomaru had to disguised themselves as humans throughout the time. From the looks of it, Inuyasha's hair is long and silvery to the bottom of his back, as long as it's pulled back. Knowing him, his old man had to bend the rules to allow his sons to have his sons have their hairs pulled back.

"So where's Sesshomaru? He's here right?" Sango asks him. Inuyasha sighs, "Yeah. He's a senior this year." He answers with a groan. Kagome thinks back a little. From what Kikyo told her, that she and Sesshomaru were at the same grade throughout middle school until last year. "How is it that he's a senior, not a junior?" She asks curiously. Inuyasha takes a free spot in front of her. "It turns that Sesshomaru is so smart that my old man wanted him to graduate a year earlier." He explains to them. "I didn't expect my dad would do that." He speaks in envy. Kagome had no idea that's even possible. "So does that mean that Sesshomaru is going to take over your father's business before we know it?" Miroku sits down in the other free seat. "More or less. But he still has to take the college courses if he were to pull it off." Inuyasha replies as he rests his head onto his hands.

The bell rings to alert the students that it's time to begin the day. "Ok, class. Please take your seats." A teacher enters the classroom. The students immediately take their seats. "I hope you guys had a safe summer." She calls out to the crew. "Oh yeah!" They all shout out to respond. The teacher smiles. "That's great to hear. Well, class it's a new year for you. New classes, as well as a new student." The teacher snaps her fingers. The door slides open. The person enters in nervously. Turns out that person is a girl. "Would you please write your name onto the board to let the class know who you are." The teacher instructs her. The girl grabs the piece of chalk and begins writing her name onto the board. She puts the chalk back onto the chalk tray. The girl is tanned of a deep brown. He hair is black and short to the shoulders. Her eyes are brown. "Hello, I'm Sakura Pulilanno." She speaks calmly.

Inuyasha looks to see Kagome a bit intense with the newcomer. 'What's gotten into her?' He asks himself in his head. "Sakura, please take a free seat behind Kagome. Kagome raise your hand please." The teacher tells Kagome seriously. Kagome immediately raised her hand. Sakura walks passes. With such close proximity a pulse from within Kagome awakens within her. 'I know her.' She proclaims herself. For now she has to see if this Sakura girl is really who she is.

As the day goes by, Kagome finds out that Sakura is in a few of her classes. But not only that, Sakura has to sit right next to Kagome in all of them. Just being so close to that girl just make more nervous than Sakura. But why should she be so nervous? 'How is that I know her and yet I don't? It just doesn't make any sense.' Kagome keeps asking the same question in her head for hours since morning. The bell rings to tell it's time for lunch. "Finally." Sakura speaks with a deep frown on her face as she gathers her belongings and gets out of the classroom.

Kagome sighs, "At least I can be alone with my friends." She grabs her stuff and heads out. Sango is waiting by the door. "I was worried that Sakura might hurt you." She speaks her mind as Kagome sees her. "If looks could kill, Sango. But that's not the case here." Kagome replies as she goes into her locker to grabs the pinto box her mother made for her and Kikyo this morning. "What do you mean by that?" Sango asks as they walk towards the roof door. After looking back and forth, Kagome and Sango open the door and head upstairs. Once they make it to the top, they spot, Miroku and Inuyasha talking to each.

"Ah if it isn't the lovely ladies who are interested in joining us for lunch." Miroku teases them coyly. Sango doesn't like when it comes to joking about her and Kagome. "Can it, pervert." She strikes him on the head to prove her point. "I just hope your day is better than mine." Kagome complains as she gets herself comfortable on the floor. "What would make you say that?" Inuyasha asks her in worry. "You remember that Sakura girl?" She asks him. Inuyasha nods as his respond. "This may be hard to believe but I have a feeling that I know her from somewhere." Miroku and Sango look at her like she's crazy. "Why would it gave you that idea to come up with that?" Miroku asks this time. Kagome takes a deep breath. "Remember that I'm a priestess." She reminds them. Miroku nods, "Yeah. They say priestesses have the ability to read the souls of people." Kagome nods, "True, not only did I read Sakura's soul. But that soul belongs to another person."

Sango seems too intense about this topic. "Then do you know whose other soul that had inhabited that girl?" Kagome nods, "Yes, Kyoko Pumatino." That's when the other three gasps.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3: Hard to Believe**

"There's no way that Sakura is Kyoko." Inuyasha growls at first, but seeing Kagome shaking made him calm down. "How can that be? Kyoko escaped prison 3 years." Sango reminds her for what they remembered three years

 _Flashback 3 years_

 _The girls arrive at the police precinct to look for their parents. "May I help you?" One of the officer asks them. "We're looking for our parents. They told us that they'd be here." Kikyo said to him. The office nods. "Ah, yes. You see. Your parents are in a private room talking with the family that had a connection with them earlier in life. And I'm afraid that you girls cannot go in there for a reason. I'm sorry." He said sadly and suggested that they take a seat and wait until their parents come out._

 _About an hour later, Kagome dozes of and lies on Kikyo's shoulder as a make-shift pillow. "Kikyo, Kagome." The same officer calls out to them. Kikyo lightly shakes Kagome to wake her up. The officer opens the door to let them into one of the detective corners of the building. Inside are their parents. "Mom, dad. What is going on here?" Kikyo asks casually, not to frightened Kagome. "Girls. Because of what happened, we're informed that their daughter, Kyoko has escaped prison." Hige confessed to them._

 _Hearing that made Kagome hide behind Kikyo quickly. "She escaped?" She peeks from behind. Ai kneels to Kagome, "Sweetie. I know it's scary to begin with, but the officers are going to do whatever they can to get her back behind bars." She cups Kagome's cheek. Kagome sniffles and nods with tears falling from her eyes. "Oh mommy. What did I ever done to her to make her go this far?" Kagome hugs her mother. Ai embraces her protectively, 'If only had the answer to that.' She admits so far in her head._

 _End of Flashback_

Kagome looks down in her hands as they begin to glow pink. "What are you doing?" Miroku asks her. Kagome closes her eyes, "I'm contacting Kikyo." She answers as the glow turns into a line and it heads towards to another part of the building.

Meanwhile in class, Kikyo is in the middle of her algebra class until the line passes through the window that is right next to her seat. 'Kikyo, I need to talk to you. It's important.' Kagome voice speaks when the line makes contact of her hand. Kikyo takes a deep breathe and concentrates on the line. 'I'll be right up. Give me a minute.' She mentally replies as she raises her hand. "What is it, Kikyo?" The teacher asks her. "I need the lav pass." She requested. The teacher reaches into the drawer of her desk and pulls out the pass. "Don't be long." She speaks sternly. Kikyo bows, "I promise." She casually walks out of the classroom. She can remember where the roof exit is so she just run slowly as she gets to the door. She opens it up and goes up to the meeting place.

The group turn their attention as the door opens up and Kikyo comes out. "What is it, Kagome?" She asks with her arms crossed. "Sorry to bother you, but I found out that Kyoko is back in town." Kagome said it to her in the eye. Kikyo raised her eyebrow, "What gave you that idea? She's been gone for 3 years. The police couldn't find her at all. Not even her own parents know where she went." She explains to them. "I'm not joking." Kagome speaks a bit too loud than she should. "If you think she's back, then who is the kid?" Kikyo asks as she can tell that Kagome is being serious. "It's a new girl named Sakura. She may not look it but when she passed me this morning, I sensed it." Kagome tells her with the other details. Kikyo goes back to the door, "I'll take your word for to make sure it's true." She leaves the group and goes back to class. She goes straight back to the direction of her algebra classroom. But little does she know is that someone caught her coming out of the roof door.

Kagome sighs as she gathers her stuff. "It's the first day, Kagome. We shouldn't be so hasty to jump to the wrong conclusion." Miroku advices her wisely. Kagome look back at him, "Seriously, Miroku I'd take your word but I don't think it'll work on my part." She declines as she goes back into the school building. Miroku and Sango look back to see Inuyasha worried, too worried. "What's your approach, Inuyasha?" Miroku asks him. Inuyasha takes a few seconds, "I'm pretty certain that Kagome is telling the truth throughout the time. I just find it hard to believe. When she told us that Sakura is Kyoko, I just had a funny feeling that this is just the beginning." He tells them.

"Like something is missing?" Sango assumes to him. Inuyasha nods back, "Yeah. When Sakura came in, she didn't had the same scent of Kyoko's. That's just it." He gives his information what he knows so far. "We're just gonna have to stay low until further stuff comes out." He suggests to them. Sango and Miroku agrees on his part and so they decide to let the day continue on.

Kagome walks casually towards her next class. As she enters the room, the only one there so far is Sakura, the new girl. 'oh no.' Kagome freaks in her. 'Ok, Kagome, don't make a scene, just ignore and 'be' nice to her is she speaks to me.' She tells herself as she takes a seat far away from. Sakura looks up from her notebook to see the other student she passed earlier. 'I knew she'd be here of all of classes.' She closes her eyes in sadness. She turns to Kagome's direction. "Hey, why are you sitting over there?" She asks for Kagome to hear her. Kagome looks her way. "Oh I thought it'd be nice to sit by the window." She merely answers so far that she is sitting by the window.

Sakura smiles, "Don't mind if I sit next to you?" She asks as she gets her bag. Kagome shrugs her shoulders, letting her that she doesn't care. Sakura sits by her right. "So where are you from?" Kagome asks her, to start a conversation, "I'm from California." Sakura replies. Okay Kagome really didn't see that coming. "I've never anyone from over the ocean before." She widens her eyes but calms down immediately. Sakura giggles, "It's okay. I was there for about 2 years until my dad was called back here. So where my dad goes, I go too. I don't have that many friends throughout the time." She explains as her small smile turns into a frown by the end of her story.

Kagome keeps her calm expression in check. "Oh, I had no idea that you'd be a nomad." She comments the position. Sakura shakes her head. "No. I used the live here until my mother passed away from cancer a few years ago. So it's new to me. It's hard to say but I think I like it here where I was from and everything, not to go to place to place every year or so. It's so hectic." She takes a deep breathe. Kagome understands where this is going. "So which part of California did you live in?" She asks her curiously.

Sakura pulls up her bookbag and opens up a pocket slot to bring out a picture of herself and her father in front of the 'Hollywood' sign. "Oh so you were in Los Angeles?" Kagome smiles up to her. Sakura nods as she puts it back into her bag's slot. "Yeah, it's amazing you'd spot a celebrity every day, and you'd be one of those paparazzi's who would follow you every day." She chuckles as she describes the life in L.A. The bell rings as other student enter the room and wait for their teacher to begin her lesson.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4: Over Nothing**

As the school hours come to their last second, Kagome couldn't stop thinking about Sakura. From she knows so far is that the new girl isn't what Kagome has expected. The bell rings out its students. As she picks up her schoolbag from the desk hook, A shadow overcomes her. "So Kagome, what are you doing this afternoon?" Sango asks as she watches her friend getting her stuff together. "Nothing much, but I'm just gonna go home. I'm beat as we speak." Kagome answers her casually as they exit out of the school.

Sango can clearly see that exhausting look in Kagome's brown eyes. 'I guess using her priestess powers must've taken a lot of her.' She states in her head. "Where are the guys?" Kagome asks as she pokes her shoulder to get her attention. "Inuyasha and Miroku joined the soccer team, so they're staying after school until the season is over. Why?" Sango answers the question and tries to get to see if Kagome could answer hers.

"I had Sakura in some of my classes after lunch and I've got to know something about her." Kagome responds as they walk down the sidewalk. "What did you find out about her?" Sango asks a bit too nosy. Kagome holds her chin to think back what Sakura told her earlier. "She lived in Los Angeles a few years ago." That made Sango widen her eyes in surprise. "You're kidding." Kagome shakes her head. "No. She showed me a picture of herself and her father in front of a Hollywood sigh. Is that proof enough." Kagome states back at her.

As they come to the fork of their streets, Kagome can see Sango's concerned look. "Sango, there's nothing to worry about her. She's new. That's what happens to the other students. They need to mind their own business. If the new girl wants to open up, she'll do it whenever she feels like." Kagome speaks her mind. Sango narrows her eyes, "Are you sure about this? Back when you first came to school, you once told me that you didn't had any friends because you were so scared that you might've spread your illness to others close to you. But look at you. For the last 6 years, you never once got any of us sick." Sango reminds her. "That was different back then, I didn't expect I would have any friends. It was the first day of school, not in the middle of the year." Kagome replies as she remembers that time when she met Sango. She had no idea that she would make friends that quick.

"Let's just call it a day and see what tomorrow holds." Kagome suggests and goes down the street her house is on. Sango just watches Kagome with so much worry that she didn't thought that this might be hard on the both of them of their own friendship. Taking her friend's advice, she walks the other way back home.

Back in the soccer field, Miroku and Inuyasha begin running around the track. "So what's going on with Sango? She's not herself." Inuyasha asks his friend. Miroku can tell Inuyasha is somewhat concern, which isn't like him. "How should I know? You were right there with me, her, Kagome and Kikyo during lunch, hearing Kagome telling us that Sakura is Kyoko." Miroku replies as they get onto the field to stretch. "I think it has to do with Kagome's claim. Ever since Kyoko injured Kagome's hand, she was so worried that she wanted to help her anyway she could. But Kikyo knew about it before her, so for what it comes to it, Sango felt left out. And in my opinion, that's not what a friend should ever do to another." He theorizes about what happened.

Inuyasha knew it that Miroku has a good point, Sango was there was Kagome needed her, but it turned out that Kikyo had stepped in her way to comfort her own sister and protect her from Kyoko's ambition. So yeah, Kagome shouldn't have done that in the first place, but she had no idea that she did on purpose. "Inuyasha, we're just worried that Sakura isn't who she think she is. It's only the first day and we need to think this thoroughly if we were to ever get to the bottom of this." Miroku speaks with wisdom in his voice to let Inuyasha know no to sweat the small stuff.

Inuyasha stands up, "I'll take your word for it. But if any funny business is to ever happened between Kagome and Sakura, I'll make sure that Sango is informed about this immediately. As a matter of fact, you should go talk to her. She's more opened up to you than me when Kagome isn't around." Inuyasha walks away to the soccer balls and practices his kicks. Miroku sighs, knowing for sure that there's only one way to get through this and that has to do with time.

As Kagome walk into her house, she begins to hear her mother talking to someone. "I'm home." She calls out to her as she takes off her shoes by the door. "Oh, Kagome. I want you to meet someone." Ai popped her head from the kitchen's doorway. Kagome walks in to see who this someone is. Once entered, that someone is an older woman, possibly Ai's age. She has tan skin with brown eyes and black hair. "Kagome, this is Mai Pulilanno." Ai introduces her daughter. Kagome blinks in surprise. "Did you say, Pulilanno?" She asks calmly, not freaked out. "Yes. Is something wrong with that?" Ai looks at her daughter suspiciously. "Not to be rude, but I had a new student by the name Sakura Pulilanno." Kagome explains to them about the last name.

"Ah you must be talking about my niece." Mai smiles to her. Kagome looks are her carefully. Kagome recalls that Sakura showed her a picture of herself and her father in L.A. "How are you related to Sakura? Via aunt?" Kagome asks her kindly. Mai keeps her smile in place. "Sato is my younger brother. But ever since Hana passed away a month ago, Sato couldn't afford the rent out in L.A. so him and Sakura moved back here." Mai explains thoroughly. Kagome ahs, to let her know she gets it now. "Hana was a businesswoman when she met Sato and because of her career, they had to move from time to time." Mai adds a missing detail.

Now it begins to make senses for now. Mai looks to her watch, "Oh, Sakura should be home soon, so I'll see you two later." Mai grabs her purse and leaves the house.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5: Too Suspicious**

When the door closes, Ai places her hands onto her hips, "Care to explain why you were rude to Mai?" She sternly said to her daughter. Kagome slightly gulps as she has to come up with an excuse. "Answer me." Ai speaks more dangerously at her. Kagome sits onto the chair at the table, "You may find this hard believe but I have a feeling that Sakura is Kyoko." She looks up to her mother. Ai on the other hand isn't convinced, "What became of this, Kagome. We all know that everyone is different from each other. There's no possibility that Sakura would look like anything like Kyoko." She speaks her mind as she takes a seat across from her.

Kagome shakes her head. "No I don't mean resemblances of a distant relative or a twin. It was her soul I was able to sense it Kyoko's soul, not her own." Ai takes Kagome's hand, "Kagome, it's been a month since the awakening of your spiritual powers. Kikyo memorizes her own teachings to help you understand on how to use them correctly." That's when she saw the bags under Kagome's eyes. "And by the looks of your eyes that you had used them today. What did you used them for?" Kagome can tell from her mother's tone of voice is telling her that Ai is serious.

"It was when Sakura walked right passed me in class and that I somehow vaguely sensed it. I had to tell Kikyo about it during lunch through spiritual link." Kagome honestly explains to her mother. Ai sighs deeply as her holds her forehead with her thumb and index fingers. "Kagome, Kagome, Kagome. I made it clear that you weren't allowed to use your spiritual powers out in the public. If anyone were to find out about it, there'd be serious consequences regarding them." Kagome nods in shame. "You're just a beginner, Kagome. You know that and it takes a long time to conceal them so no one would get suspicious about them." Ai holds her daughter's shoulder to assure her. Kagome keeps nodding. "And I think you need to rest. Go on up and I'll wake you up when dinner's ready." Ai pats the shoulder and goes to the pantry to figure out what to make for dinner.

Kagome walks tiredly up the stairs and into her room. Upon entering, her bedroom has changed for the last few years. The once pink walls are now painted turquois blue. Her single bed is now a twin size for her grown body. However she kept her bedside table, and desk in there. She walks into her closet to change into her pj pants and a green tie dye shirt. She tosses her school uniform into the hamper and gets under the comforter of her bed and falls asleep.

An hour after Kagome went to sleep, Kikyo comes into the house. "I'm home." She walks into the kitchen. "Kikyo, I'd like to talk to you for minute." Ai said to her. Kikyo sets down her bag and goes into the kitchen, "Am I in trouble, mom?" Kikyo asks nervously. Ai places the knife down onto the cutting board. "It depends, Kikyo." Ai replies as she sees Kikyo taking a seat on the couch in the den. Ai walks in and sits down by her. "Kikyo, did Kagome contact you through spiritual link at school?" She asks the question. Kikyo nods, "Yes she did. She was so worried that Sakura, the new girl, was Kyoko." She looks back up in the eye.

Ai sighs again, "Kikyo, when you found out you were a priestess, how long did it take for you to conceal it?" She gets to the point. Kikyo holds her chin thinking. "I think it took me about a month to conceal it." She explains to her mother. Ai nods to her, "I see. We all know that Kagome just started her discovery of her own spiritual powers. Do you think you could help on how to conceal it?" She asks in plead. Kikyo smiles up to her, "I don't see why not. She may be new, but I think it'll be easier for her to get it right." She happily agrees with Ai.

Ai smiles back. "That's great to here, Kikyo." For now let Kagome rest up. You guys can do this over the weekend." She stands up and goes back into the kitchen to resume cooking. Kikyo takes a deep breath and makes her way to her own bedroom to begin her homework. Kikyo couldn't stop thinking about what her mother told her. 'Kagome is just paranoid. There's no way Sakura could be Kyoko.' She tells herself in her head as she focuses on her homework.

After dinner, Kagome goes back into her room to begin her homework since she napped for about 3 hours. Just when she is about to start a knock gets her attention. "Kagome." Kagome turns her sight to Kikyo knocking on her door even though it's open. "What is it?" Kagome asks as she sets her stuff aside to let her sister sit on the bed. "I bet mom told you about what happened today?" Kagome gets to the point. Kikyo nods for an answer. "Yeah. I was just worried about what might happen if anyone were to find out about our spiritual powers." She speaks her mind. Kikyo can see how worried and nervous her sister is. But who could blame her? She just found out about them by last month. "Anyway. I thought I'd teach you on how to conceal them." Kikyo offers her help. Kagome had no idea that Kikyo was using her own spiritual to torture Kyoko at that time. But when she admits for what she did, Kagome knew it was going happen sooner or later.

"I guess so. I don't want to get anyone to know about our powers. When can we start?" Kagome looks up to her hopefully. Kikyo smiles as she takes her sister's shoulder. "How about this weekend?" She prefers the time. Kagome nods as she hugs her immediately. Kikyo didn't

see that coming but returns the hug nonetheless.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6: Which One is Better**

Kagome couldn't keep her excitement any more. Now that it's Friday, that excitement has gone over the roof. She looks up to the clock on the wall by the door, watching it ticking with each passing second. 'Come on.' She begs in her head, not even bothering what her teacher is writing on the board. Tick-tock, tick-tock. Oh that clock is just mocking her over and over again. "Kagome." The teacher taps her shoulder to get her attention, "Huh, what? What is it?" She looks up at the teacher. The teacher has crossed her arms in an annoyed expression. "I asked you to answer the math problem on the board. Kagome looks towards the board to see what her teacher wrote. 'Oh that's easy. Not!' She sarcastically screams in her head. "I-I-I, I don't know." She admits defeat.

Not only that, a few of her classmates laughed at her for her foolishness. "Kagome, this problem will be on the test next week. If you cannot keep up with your math, I'll have no choice but to a provide you with a tutor." The teacher scolds her. That statement even made the class laugh at her even. "That's won't be necessary. I'm just not myself today." Kagome waves her hands. The teacher looks at her suspiciously. "I hope you keep your word, otherwise I'll get you a tutor to make sure you keep up with the class." She warns as she walks back into the front of the class.

All Kagome does is groan in embarrassment. 'Honestly, why do I have to learn this stuff? It doesn't make any sense at all.' She complains in her head, as in she doesn't make herself an idiot throughout the time. The bell rings to let the kids to know it's the weekend. 'Finally.' She smiles as she gathers her belongings and head out of the building. "Hey Kagome." Kagome turns around to see Inuyasha getting to her. "Oh hey, what's up?" She asks him as they walk down the sidewalk. "I just got a new trampoline and I wanted you to check it out with me. What do you say?"

Kagome grins like crazy. "Wow. That's awesome. I'd die to jump on that thing." Inuyasha laughs at her, "That's good to hear. How about tomorrow?" He decides. Kagome stops in her tracks. Inuyasha turns around to see her with a frown on her. What happened to the smirk? "Is something wrong?" He asks her. Kagome looks up to him. "I can't. Because of my priestess powers, Kikyo is gonna help me on how to keep them in check." She declines sadly as she walks on ahead of Inuyasha instead. Inuyasha runs up to her. "Hey, don't worry. We can jump on it whenever it's convenient for you. We have the weekend as we speak." He cheers her up. Kagome just nods and keeps on walking home. Inuyasha notices that he is at the corner of the street his house and Kagome's house are on. Kagome's house is up ahead, while Inuyasha's is from the left of the direction. Knowing that there's nothing else to do, he walks to his house.

Kagome comes into the house, "I'm home, mom." She calls out. "Welcome home, dear." Ai responds as she comes from inside the den. Kagome walks in to see that Ai is reading novel of some sort. Ai catches Kagome's sadden face. "Honey what's the matter?" She walks to her daughter. Kagome sets her backpack onto the chair. "Inuyasha just got a new trampoline and he wants me to jump on it." Kagome answers the question. Ai now knows where this is going. "I see. You're at that position where you're ready for the upcoming event, and then all of sudden a more exciting event is going to happen on the same day. You're just worried for which one is better than the other." Ai explains the predicament. Kagome nods, "I was just so eager to jump onto his new trampoline, but I know that I have to take care of my powers, I don't want to be noticed with them." Kagome tells her how uncertain she really is. She then goes into the kitchen, and pulls out her homework.

Kikyo comes into the house. "Hey I'm home." She walks into the kitchen to see Kagome doing her homework. "Got a lot of that this weekend?" She lightly jokes to her sister as she sits in another chair to do her own. "More or less. Take a guess." Kagome replies without looking up to her. Kikyo can sense through Kagome's aura that she's upset. "What's got into you, this morning you were so excited to have me train you, and now you're down." Kikyo describes her sister's position. "Inuyasha got a new trampoline and he wanted me to jump on it." Kikyo ahs in realization. "I see, I know how that feels. I was like that couple of times before." She takes Kagome's shoulder. Kagome looks up to her, "What did you do?" She asks.

Kikyo sighs, "Well when it comes to situations like this, I'd stick to the first suggestion." She speaks so wisely. Kagome nods, "You know, Kikyo. You're right. I shouldn't sweat the small things and just go with the flow." She sounds to enthusiastically. Just hearing that made Kikyo smiles proudly. But then Kagome realized something, "Tell me Kikyo, how was it that you were about to tell that I was sad when I wasn't looking up to you while I was doing my homework?" Kikyo smirks, "Ah, Kagome, my dear sister. Even though I'm a priestess, I don't really look on your face to tell how you're feeling. It's your aura I detect to tell the emotions." Kikyo explains as she pulls out something from her backpack. Kagome looks onto the book's cover. "Emotional Auras for You." Kagome looks up to her. Kikyo nods her head happily, "This is the book you're going to read in order to understand the aura.  
Kagome turns to a few pages to see what's inside. So far, a few of the pages have diagrams of various subjects. "There's a lot of them." Kagome comments to the book's information. All Kikyo does is nod to let her know how happy she is to train her little sister.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7: Training Day**

The next morning, the sunlight beams into Kikyo's bedroom. The curtains are spread to both sides to allow the natural light to enter. Within touching, Kikyo's face, it glows her body, alerting her to wake up immediately. She flutters her eyes to adjust the brightness around herself. She then stretches her limbs. "Today's the day." She grins as she goes into her closet to look in to find what's inside. She then spots it. It's her miko uniform. 'This is what I had to wear. So far I only have two pairs of these.' She smiles as she takes the clothes off the hangers.

Truth be told, she had to have two uniforms in case of the other is dirty or damaged. Both outfits are clean and ready to be worn. "Might as well dress the part." She giggles as she puts on one of them. The top is fitting her body, as well as the pants are down to her ankles. She puts her hair into a low ponytail with a white headband. She even spots her sandals that's supposed to go with the outfit. Sadly there's only one pair, but it was optional in her opinion.

She walks quietly into Kagome's room. She opens the door a little bit to peek in. So far the room is dark judging by the blinds covering the windows with the curtains closed as well. She turns towards Kagome sleeping like the dead. Not only that, Kikyo grins the sight to see a little drool seeping out of her slightly open mouth onto the pillow. 'Why would she drool in her sleep?' Kikyo curiously asks in her head. She then sees the medicine box with a glass of water half empty. Then it reminds her, due to Kagome's epilepsy, Kagome had to take specialized medications to keep her brain 'balanced' otherwise if she doesn't take them more than a day, she'd get a seizure. Over time, one of the medications made her gain weight at one point, despite her daily joggings. As such she was switched to a different one. Fortunately, she lost the weight within 2 days. But the downside is that she wasn't herself, positivity was gone. So to in order to keep that in her is another medication from the neurologist to make sure it works.

Kikyo walks up to Kagome and shakes her a little. "Kagome, wake up." She speaks softly. Kagome groans as she looks at her sister and then to her clock, "Kikyo? What is it? It's 6. I shouldn't be up at this hour." Kagome complains as she turns to the other side of her body to go back to sleep. "Sorry Kagome…" Kikyo yanks the blanket off her sister's body. The cool air touches her all over to make her fully awake. "Fine, fine. I'm up." Kagome waves off as she stretches her body as well. Kikyo throws her the miko outfit. "What are these?" Kagome asks as she looks down to the clothes. "See what I'm wearing?" Kikyo points to herself.

Kagome looks up to Kikyo, not even getting a good look at her. "Those are miko uniforms, I had a spare for you to wear when the time came." Kikyo explains the purpose. Kagome didn't even noticed it throughout the time Kikyo woke her up. "put those on and meet me outside. Oh and bring that book with you too." Kikyo tells her casually and leaves the room to give her sister the privacy to change. Kagome doesn't waste any second to put on the outfit. Just wearing it makes her look like a copy to her sister. The only difference is the hair length, While Kikyo's hair is down to her waist, Kagome's is down to the middle of her back. The other fact is their bangs. Kikyo's is straight across with two strains in front of her ears. Kagome's bangs are just few thick strains over her forehead and she doesn't have the strains in front of her ears. She pulls her hair back into a low ponytail as well with a hair thing.

Kikyo walks out towards the back yard to handle cool crisp air. That's the first thing a priestess is to do is to deal with the elements. She places the bamboo bad onto the grass and sits in Indian style. A few minutes later, the door opens up to get Kikyo's attention. She looks up to see Kagome coming out, shivering. "How come I have to deal with the c-c-cold?" She chatters her teeth, trying to get warm. "Don't worry, it'll warm up in about an hour." Kikyo responds without opening her eyes. "Do you have your book?" She asks. Kagome comes down to the pad. "I have." She pulls out the book that was tucked in the sleeves. "Now turn to page 20." Kikyo gives the first instructions. Kagome turns to the page and reads the title, "Spirits of the Elements?" Kagome reads it out loud. Kikyo nods, "This is the first task you have to complete." She opens her eyes and opens her one hand. A blue glow appears in awe. "The glow indicates the temperatures of the surroundings. So far the reason the glow is blue is telling us that it's chilly." Kikyo explains to her. "Now focus the air around yourself and try to create a glow to match mine."

Kagome takes a deep breath to concentrate the cold air around herself. So far, the cold air is fighting her for control. "Don't fight the cold, become one with it." Kikyo speaks sternly. Kagome is desperately trying her best to do as she is told. Even the outfit isn't doing any good for her. The cold air is causing the skin to get bumpy with goosebumps all over. After a few tries, a faint blue begins to appear. She smiles, "Look, Kikyo." Kagome shows the hand. Kikyo looks at it carefully. "Remain focus, Kagome. Don't let it fade away." Kagome looks down to see the glow is very dim, hardly noticeable. She then closes her eyes and things hard to what it was to cause the glow to brighten up. 'The cold, the cold, the cold. What is cold?' She asks herself.

She then realized that she had to think about various items that are meant to be cool, no freezing. She imagines the places, the artic, the mountain tops, the deepest parts of the oceans, Antarctica, snow, ice. Upon those examples the blue glow begins to light up even more. "Nicely done, Kagome. Now tell me, how was it that you were about to make the blue glow grow?" Kikyo smiles at her sister's first success. Kagome looks down to the glow. "I had to think deeply about what else was cold. Mountains, the artic, ice, snow." Kagome answers her the question.

"Very creative, Kagome. I had to think of something else in order for me to make my blue glow to appear." Kagome smiles back, "And what was it that made it happened?" She asks her. Kikyo smiles sadly, not only was it that cold, I had to think about what was blue, white, for my glow. But also the expressions that made it happened." She explains her method. "And what expressions were they?" Kagome asks nervously. Kikyo frowns, "Negative emotions, Sadness, loneliness, misery. Those are the most negative emotions that make the auras blue. I wasn't aware of it until late on in life. I had no idea about it throughout that time." She explains her own experiences. Kagome takes hold of her sister's shoulder, "Hey, Even though it was one way to make it happen for your powers, don't do it too much." She advices her sister.

Kikyo couldn't help but smile as her sister's own wisdom. "Okay, ready for the next phase?" She gets back to the topic, Kagome nods back, "Yes, let's continue."


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8: The Ring**

Kikyo couldn't be any prouder with Kagome, as the days of training keep on going stronger, Kagome is becoming a stronger priestess herself. "So Kikyo what are we going to do this time day?" Kagome asks excitedly as she looks from her breakfast on a Monday morning. Kikyo places her fork down, "Today you're going to wear this." Kikyo answers as she pulls out a piece of jewelry; a ring. Kagome takes a closer look at it. "It's a mood ring." She raised her eyebrow. Kikyo tsk tsk, "Ah, Kagome you should never underestimate the saying 'looks can be deceiving.'. You know how a mood ring works. Right?" She grins up to Kagome. "I think so." Kagome loses her self-esteem. Kikyo pulls out a chart. "This should help refresh your memory." She gives it to her. Kagome looks down to the chart to see the colors and their meanings.

"Put it on." Kikyo encourages her as she gives the ring. Kagome takes hold of the piece of jewelry. Within contact the ring turns to orange. "Ah Orange tells that you're stressed, nervous, confused, upset, challenged or indignant." Kikyo gives the signs of the orange. "Seeing that should show that you're just nervous for how the day will go." She explains to her.

Kagome places the ring onto her right ring finger. If she put it on her left, there'd be bad rumors about engagements or anything with that custom. Once put on it fits her nicely. Shortly after it turns back to white. "Don't worry, it's clear so no one would notice it." Kikyo assures her. Knowing the both of them, there's a rule about exposed jewelry is optional but not too flashy to get attention. "So this is okay to wear?" Kagome asks her sister. Kikyo stands up and pats on her shoulder. "Of course it is. We need to get going or we're going to be late." She walks up ahead. Kagome looks up to see that it's close to 7:30 am. "Oh yeah." Kagome replies as she grabs her bag and bolts out of the door.

Kagome takes her seat to get herself settled. On her way Inuyasha called in sick on her cell so it's no show for him. 'Oh well, he might be playing hooky.' She giggles in her head. Knowing that guy, there's a couple of times that he 'call' in sick is either of two things, either he's really down under the weather or he doesn't feel like going. She didn't mind his rebelliousness, in fact it makes him look quite cute to see him like that. The door opens up and in comes Sakura. "Morning, Kagome." She greets nicely. Kagome looks up to see she smiling down to her. "Oh morning, Sakura." Kagome smiles back to her. Little did she know that the ring turned gold. "Oh is that a mood ring?" Sakura smiles down to the thing. "Oh this, yeah pretty much. I just find it in my junk drawer back in my bedroom." Kagome giggles nervously. Sakura takes a seat next to her. "So what bring it up for you to wear it? Did you have it when you were a kid?" Sakura asks curiously. Kagome looks down to her ring. "I somehow won it at a carnival back then. I'm somehow a packrat for some things I cannot simply get rid of." Kagome calmly explains herself about the simple stuff.

All of a sudden the ring turns black. Sakura looks to it and freaks out. "Oh no. Whatever you do, keep that thing away from me." She jumps out of her desk and bolts out of the classroom. Just seeing that scene made Kagome looked confused. "What the hell was that all about?" She asks herself. Sango comes in from the other door, "Hey, what happened to Sakura? Why was she freaking out." She comes up to Kagome. Kagome pulls out the chart Kikyo gave her with the ring. "All she did was look at my ring and then it turned black, thus making her run for the hills." She begins to read the chart for the signs of the color black of the mood ring. "Hmm according to this, black tells the wearer that she's stressed out. But I'm not the stressed one here." Kagome explains the details from the chart.

Sango rests her chin onto her palm, "Maybe the ring is malfunctioning." She guessed too casually. Kagome look back at the ring to find it turn back to clear. 'I think it's for Sakura's emotions that it's reacting to, not mine.' Kagome thinks it through. But so far the ring was only able to do that when Sakura close to the ring. The bell rings, telling the students that it's time to start the day.

Somewhere else in the school building, Kikyo's bag begins to pulsate. "So it has begun." Kikyo murmurs to herself. That is until she spots Sakura running in the hall. Kikyo couldn't keep her curiosity in check and wanted to see if she can help the poor girl. She raises her hand, "Yes, Kikyo?" The teacher looks at her. "I would like to use the lav please." Kikyo politely asks her. The teacher gets into the desk drawer and pulls out the pass. "Don't be out too long." She seriously tells her before resuming her work on the board. "I promise, I won't." Kikyo vows as she goes to the direction Sakura went.

Sakura runs into the lav. She grabs hold of the sink, panting. "You will do as I say." An eerie dark voice speaks out of nowhere. "Who's there?" Sakura asks around herself, seeing there isn't anyone in the lavatory other than herself. "I'm someone you cannot see with the naked eye." The voice replies back. Sakura looks at herself in the mirror. So far she only sees herself in the reflection, but then there's something behind her. Sakura turns around to look over her shoulder and sees nothing. "Like I said, I cannot be seen by the naked eye." The voice repeats itself. Sakura glares at the reflection, "Then how is it that I can see you in the mirror?" She asks it with a frown. "Only the reflection reveals half of me. Can't you tell anything about me, Sakura? I'm a spirit, a soul." The voice tells it so far.

Kikyo walks casually to the lav that Sakura walked into, but something else troubles her. "I'm a spirit, a soul." She was able to hear an eerie voice. That alone is more than enough to claim that Sakura is possessed. Kikyo digs into her bag to pull something familiar, the earring that she made Kyoko wear back in middle school. 'Like they say, 'There's no time like the present.'.' She walks into the lav to see Sakura washing her face. "Hey there, Sakura." Kikyo smiles at the girl. Sakura sighs in relief. "Oh it's you. What's happening?" Sakura replies as she dries her face with a paper towel from the rack. Kikyo goes into an open stall and locks it behind her. "I was just on my way here until I felt something odd coming from in here." Kikyo speaks casually, not to get Sakura freaked out or suspicious. "Like what?" Sakura asks her curiously as she goes into the stall next to Kikyo's.

Kikyo looks down to the earring. 'Might as well wait till later.' She sighs quietly, "Sakura, were there times that you believe in something and yet people around don't believe you at all?" She puts the earring back into her own bag and flushes the toilet, not that she was using it anyway and comes out. Sakura does the same thing and comes out as well. "For a while now, I've been hearing a creepy voice and it won't go away." Sakura answers the question honestly. "Don't you think you could help me. This voice is annoying as it speaks, and I know for sure it's not me who's talking to myself." She begs Kikyo. That was when Kikyo knew for sure that Sakura was hurt from the inside.


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9: The Only One To Turn To**

Sakura slides down the wall and holds her head, looking like she's having a headache. Kikyo kneels down to her level taking her shoulder in comfort. "Do you think you could help get this voice out of me?" Sakura begs her as she takes her shoulder. Kikyo knew for sure that she had to do something to help this innocent person. "Like try sucking out that voice out of me?" Sakura gives an example. Kikyo blinks her eyes in realization. 'Sucking out the voice. More like the soul.' All she does is smile.

Kikyo pats Sakura shoulder. "I believe I can help. But not here." She looks around herself to make sure it's the two of them in the lavatory. Sakura looks up to her confusingly. "What do you mean? Could you do it right now? The sooner the better." Kikyo sighs as she helps her get back onto her feet. "I just don't have the objects to make it happen, I have it back at my place and I recommend that you come home with me after school." She explains to her. "Besides, doing it here would attract unwanted attention in here." Sakura understands where this is going. "Okay." She agrees with Kikyo's suggestion.

"For now, try to focus on the day and when it's the end of the school, meet me at the front entrance. Do you think it'll be okay with your parents to visit me?" Kikyo asks so that Sakura wouldn't get into trouble later on. Sakura chuckles, "I live alone, but my dad pays for my expenses." Kikyo ahs for where this is going. Since Sakura is 16 years old, She has the legal rights to live on her own. So there's nothing to worried about asking permission to one's parents to let them where she's going. "But I'll meet you at the front entrance nonetheless." Sakura smiles up to her. Kikyo nods as she goes to the door, "Remember this, Sakura. You must control your emotions, the more negative you release, the more likely that soul will possess you." She kindly warns her as she walks out.

Sakura takes her word seriously, 'Ok, think positive things.' She repeats herself every few seconds as she walks through the hallway. So far Sakura made sure she keep that going. For a bad grade, she shrugged it off. Nothing wrong with that. Knowing her so far, she's a smart person. As the day progresses, nothing bad happened to her as of yet. She waited patiently until the clock tells her that it's time to go home. She turns to the window to see a few dark clouds approaching the area. 'Looks like it's going to rain.' She tells herself as she resumes to pay attention to the teacher.

The bell rings to signal the students that it's the end of the school hours. All Sakura does is smile. 'Finally.' She gathers her things as she heads out the door. So far she can see Kikyo is waiting with an umbrella. "I had a feeling that it might rain so I made sure I brought one." She passes her a spare. Sakura happily accepts the umbrella and opens it up as the rain begins.

A few blocks later, Kikyo leads Sakura into the house. Sakura smiles as she admits the house. "You have so a lovely home." She compliments. Kikyo just smiles at her. "Mom, I'm home." Kikyo calls out to her mother. Ai dries her hands and walks into the hallway. "Welcome home, Kikyo. Oh and who do we have here?" She smiles sweetly to Sakura. Sakura bows. "Hello, Mrs. Higurashi, I'm Sakura. I'm a classmate of Kikyo's." She greets herself respectively. Ai smiles at her. "It's not often that my daughter brings over a few friends over. But you're more than welcome to come over." Ai gestures them to the kitchen. "Would you like something to drink?" She offers them. Kikyo and Sakura sets their backpack onto the couch. "Just a water please." Sakura asks politely as she and Kikyo go down to the basement. Ai quickly gets two glasses of water with ice, and give it to them.

Sakura walks down the stairs to see the basement is just a regular looking basement. With one corner of laundry, to the other with the power supply for the house. "It's this way, Sakura." Kikyo gestures the girl into a secluded room. Upon entering, Sakura is in a dojo, with bamboo flooring, and kanji signs around the room. "This is where we'll examine your body and soul. And find the root of the problem." Kikyo explains as she goes behind a tapestry to get into her miko outfit. Sakura tilts her head. "You're a priestess?" She asks her as she sits onto the bamboo floor.

Kikyo comes out as she pulls her hair back, "From the way you asked it, it doesn't seem you looked surprised." She comments as she goes to a shelf to pull out a charm and sutras. "These twos are going to help you." She simply explains to her as she sits across from Sakura.

Kagome walks into the house. "I'm home mom." She calls out to her mother as she walks into the kitchen to spot Ai making dinner already. "Welcome home, honey." Ai greets casually as she focuses on her preparations. "Where's Kikyo? I haven't seen her all day." Kagome asks as she gets into the living to spot her sister's backpack, along with another one. She checks the tag and see it has Sakura's name on it. "Sakura's here?" Kagome turns around calmly. Ai nods, "Yes. She and your sister are down in the dojo. It's best that you don't bother. They're busy with something." Ai answers as well not to have Kagome go barging into the dojo and disturb Kikyo's concentration. All Kagome does is sit at the table and begin her homework she was tasked to do. 'I think it has to do with the ring Kikyo gave me. Ever Since Sakura came close to me, the ring has been acting up strangely. I don't know what Sakura is up to, but I know I have a bad feeling about her.' She speaks her mind as she begins her homework.

Sakura looks down to the two items. "What are their purposes?" She asks Kikyo curiously, trying to understand as much as possible. Kikyo picks up a sutra, "This is a sutra and it's meant to draw out an evil being from within, and destroys it." She answers the question in detail. Sakura looks down to the charm. "And the charm?" She asks her next question. The charm looks like a red silk tag with kanji saying 'Protect the holder.' "This here is called Omamori, or protection. It's meant for good luck. There are different charms for each purpose. This one is Yaku-Yoke, Avoidance of Evil." She explains to Sakura. Sakura believes that she has indeed come to the right place to get this evil being out of her own body.


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10: The Missing Fun**

Ever since Ai told Kagome that Kikyo is with Sakura working on something, Kagome has a strange feeling that something is wrong, but doesn't know how to explain it. To herself is one thing, to anyone else? Not likely. There's certain no point that whatever a subject is that of spiritual beings, or with superstition, it's highly doubtful. No one in this day and age would understand it thoroughly. They would only know the basics, but not everything. Sure there's superstitions, like black cat cross your path, spilled salt, opening an umbrella indoors, walking on a crack, break your mother's back, walk under a ladder, breaking a mirror, and the list goes on for other superstitions known to man.

Kagome has to keep her mind on her homework instead of interfering Kikyo's works on the person who is more than willing to let her do her thing. But thinking about it isn't helping. Not by a long shot. Her cell phone vibrates to get her out of her head. She digs into her purse to see it's a text message from Sango. She opens up the screen to see what it says.

 _Sango_

Kagome

 _Kagome, would you like to come over to Inuyasha's house for a while?_

Kagome looks at the clock to see it's only 4:38 pm.

Sry, Sango I can't. I've homework to do.

 _Well, that's what me, Miroku and Inuyasha are doing together._

Idk. I just got home and Sakura is down in the basement with my sister.

 _Seriously!? Why on earth would Sakura come over to your place?_

I wasn't the one who brought her over, it was Kikyo who did.

 _Anyway. It's up to you if you want to come over so we can get through the dreadful homework and have some fun._

Kagome sighs in the end as she puts her cell phone down. Ai catches the look. "What's the matter, sweetie?" She puts down the knife onto the cutting board. Kagome places her chin onto her the palm of her hand. "Sango wants me to head over to her place for a while." Kagome explains her look. Ai smiles immediately. "Why don't you go? I don't mind you going over there. You just have to be back by 9 pm." She encourages her daughter. Hearing that lightened up her mood. "You sure about this, mom? I just got home and just started doing my homework." Ai immediately holds her daughter's shoulder in comfort. "Just take it with you. Who knows, they might help you out and vice versa." She offers her advice.

Kagome smiles back as she gathers her stuff and goes into her purse to pull the phone.

Give me about 10 minutes and I'll be there.

 _That's great to hear. See you then._

Kagome goes into her bedroom to change into a more comfortable outfit. She finds a lion t-shirt and a pair of loose jeans with a black belt as her t-short covers her. It's not that she's too small in the clothes, she prefers to them as 'loose fitting.' According to her, if she were to wear something so tight, it might make it hard for her to move and suffocate her. Thus why this is her style. Loose fitting means, move freely and not suffocate. She then goes to her closet to put on her sneakers and socks on. Once put on, she runs back into the kitchen to get her backpack and runs out the door.

At Inuyasha's place, Sango, Miroku, and Inuyasha are in the game room. Inuyasha watches Miroku strike the cue to the black 8 ball into the side pocket. "I win, Inuyasha. You have to do my homework for the next week." Miroku gloats at Inuyasha. Inuyasha meh's as he goes up to the kitchen. "Want anything to drink?" He asks the two. "Water." Sango calls out. "Same." Miroku copies her answer. Inuyasha groans as he makes his way to the kitchen. "What's the matter, sweetie?" Izayoi asks her son. Inuyasha goes into the fridge to pull out the pitcher. "Sango has invited Kagome over her, despite that I'm down with a cold. She should be at her place, not here." Inuyasha complains to her.

Inuyasha is down with a cold. He's in his red rob, and pj pants on. Izayoi quickly takes the pitcher. "No son of mine is going to serve his two friends with this in the condition that he's in. I'll take care of this, and you go back to sleep." She kindly demands him. Inuyasha knows better that whenever his mother talks to him like that, he has no choice but to obey them. "Ok, ok." He surrenders and goes up to his room. Izayoi shakes her head, "Honestly, what could've happened to him all of a sudden? Yesterday he was healthy as a horse and now he's down with the cold." She sighs and goes into the game room.

Sango and Miroku just talked among themselves. "So what's been taking Inuyasha so long? He should've gotten our drinks by now." Miroku complains, truly proving he's thirsty. Sango rolls her eyes, "I'm not the complaining one here. He's down with the cold, and you wanted me to come with and have Kagome come over as well." She glares at him. The door opens up to reveal Izayoi. "Oh, Mrs. Takahashi. I thought that it was Inuyasha who was going to bring our drinks." Miroku speaks ever so rudely to the woman. All Sango does is hits his arm, "My apologies. Apparently this guy doesn't know his place." She glares at him.

Izayoi giggles at the two. "Don't worry about it. I have your drinks in here nonetheless." She assures them as she brings two glasses of water with ice in them. "Thanks." Sango gladly takes the drink and takes a sip. Miroku does the same manner. "You're welcome you two. But once you finished those drinks, I recommend that you go home. Even though Inuyasha is sick, it's my job as the mother to get him better, not to pass it to you two." She winks and leaves the room, leaving the two staring at each other in befuddle.

As Inuyasha hangs up his robe, he's wearing a muscle shirt. The arms are neatly built to prove that his upper body is something to admire. "I just wanted to hang out with them, and my own mother have to kick them out. This sucks." He begins coughing miserably. Taking his mother's word, Inuyasha gets under the covers of his bed and tries to fall asleep. About 5 minutes in, the doorbell rings. Being a half dog demon, his keen sense of hearing heard that thing loud enough to wake him back up again. "Must be the delivery guy. Gee mom, how often do you order your stuff online?" He complains as he tries to go back to sleep.

Izayoi finishes drying her hands and goes to the door. Once open, Kagome smiles at her. "Hello, Mrs. Takahashi, is Inuyasha here?" She bows to her. Izayoi couldn't help but smile. "He is dear. So are Sango and Miroku. Unfortunately Inuyasha is down with a cold and I just told Sango and Miroku that they should leave pretty soon. Having a sick son isn't wise to have his friends over. There's no telling if they'll catch it." She explains to her in worry. Kagome smiles sadly at her. "I see. If you want me to go home. I'll go." She turns around and begins to walk down the driveway.

"Hold on." Izayoi calls out to her. Kagome turns around to see Izayoi coming up to her. "I didn't mean to be rude to you. I was just disappointed in my son's actions. You're more than welcome to come in." She gently pushes Kagome back into the house. "Where are Sango and Miroku?" She asks her for Sango was the one who texted her earlier. "They're in the game room. Inuyasha's tired and went back to sleep. I'm going to give him some medicine to help him get better soon." Izayoi answers the question and goes back into the kitchen.


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11: Sick Day**

Kagome knows which way the game room and heads that way. When she enters, she sees Sango and Miroku playing pool. "Hey guys, I'm here." Kagome comes in. Sango looks at her in surprise, "Hey, what brings you here?" She asked her confused. Kagome looks back just the same way. "You texted me to come over? So we could do our homework together." Kagome explains the reason. Sango looks into her bag to pull out her cell phone and opens it to see that it was sent straight to her messenger app. "I didn't text you?" She claims. Kagome hmms, "Really? When I got it, it had you're name on it and everything." Kagome replies as she shows Sango the proof. Sango blinks as she sees Miroku about to sneak out of the room via through the reflective image on her phone.

Just seeing Miroku sneaking out is more than enough to convince Sango and Kagome glare at him. "MIROKU!" Sango growls as she chases after him. Miroku runs straight out of the back door and into the back yard with Sango right behind. "You jerk hacked into my phone again." She shouts as she tackles him onto the ground. "This is the fourth time I have to change my settings. I'm going to kill you, Miroku." Sango pins him down. "Sango, I can explain." Miroku pleas through his uncomfortable position. "Save it you jerk." She continues to beat him to a bloody pulp.

Inuyasha groans as he looks out the window to witness the scene. "Seriously, Miroku. You don't know when to keep your hands to yourself." He holds his head, due to the headache already. He looks out the window to see the two as if they were wrestling. He looks down to see Kagome looking amused. "I should've been able to sniff her scent. I think this cold has lost that ability for now." He didn't expect Kagome to come over. He's sick for crying out loud. He doesn't want his friends to come over at all. Not right now that is. He groans and coughs as he gets into his robe and goes to the back door.

Kagome couldn't stop shaking her head, witnessing how those of all friends she's had over the years would change and yet remain the same. "They're always like this." Inuyasha spoke behind her. Kagome turns around in alarm. "Oh whoa I didn't know you were behind me." Kagome takes a few deep breathes to slow down her fast beating heart. Inuyasha ignores the girl as he keeps on watching Miroku getting beaten up. "Alright you two, that's enough." Inuyasha gets in between the two. Inuyasha grabs hold of Sango while Kagome gets Miroku from behind. "Guys, I need to rest so you can go home." Inuyasha begins coughs miserably and faints. "Inuyasha!" Kagome runs down to him.

Izayoi runs out of the house and gets to his other side. "Inuyasha, honestly. You don't know when to do as I say." She scolds him. She grabs hold of his arm while Miroku grabs his other arm. "I thought I told you guys to leave. I don't want you to catch his cold." Izayoi said to him and Sango specifically. "We were about to Mr. Takahashi…" Sango tries to start, but Izayoi puts her hand up. "We'll talk later. Right now we need to get my son back to his room." She and Miroku carry Inuyasha upstairs. Kagome looks so worried that she wants to help out. Sango takes hold of her shoulder, "Let's just make sure he's okay." She comforts her as they both go inside.

Inuyasha moans as he comes to after feeling something cold on his forehead. "What happened?" He asks whoever it was that placed the ice pack onto his head. "You fainted after coughing so badly." Kagome answers the question as she gives Inuyasha some ginger ale. "You're here still." He looks at her. Kagome nods as she gets her backpack. "I've your homework with me. You don't want to fall behind." She pulls out the assigned stuff from the teachers at the school. "Tell me something I don't know." Inuyasha speaks sarcastically and begins coughing again. Kagome sighs, "Suck it up, Inuyasha. You're a half demon for crying out loud. You've been through worst stuff than this. This cough should be easy for you to get through." Kagome sneers at him.

All Inuyasha humphs and turns his head away from her, "Says you. You don't know what's it like to be a half demon. I'm a being that isn't excepted into any class, any living being." He mutters under his breath. Kagome shakes her head. "When we met I never rejected you, even though you were disguised as a human so you could blend in with the crowd." She playfully backhands the ice pack on his forehead. Upon the impact, Inuyasha growls in pain. "That hurt you know." He glares at her. Kagome smirks, "Good, that proves that you're okay." Kagome sits back down onto his desk chair to open up a page. "So which one should we do first? Science, history, math, literature?" Kagome goes through the agenda where she's been assigned for homework. She turns her head to see Inuyasha fast asleep. Just seeing that made her smile sweetly to him. 'Sleeping like a puppy.'

Being a good friend that she is, she decides to make a sheet of the answers on all of the subjects. From the formulas of the math equations, to the notes of Literature, the timeline of History and the details of Science and everything in between. Even though she did _his_ homework, she had to do her own back home, hence the title "Homework." Izayoi comes in to see Inuyasha asleep while Kagome is doing his homework. Izayoi smiles at the scene and comes up to Kagome. "You know you don't have to do his homework." She deeply protests her quietly not to wake up her son. Kagome shakes her head, "I just thought that I would leave out the information he needs to know. Besides he has until Monday to get this finish." She looks back up with a smile of her own. "I'll be leaving soon anyway." She stands back up and grabs her bag and heads out the door.

Izayoi couldn't let go of her own expression and looks back to her sleeping son. "My son. You should be grateful you have a friend like her." She comments and leaves the room and let her son continue on resting.


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12: Inner Turmoil**

Back in Kikyo's spot, Sakura is lying on her back, letting Kikyo focus on the girl. It's been an hour since they got into this situation. Kikyo concentrates her spiritual energy onto the girl. Upon contact with Sakura's skin, made Kikyo find a shocking discovery. 'This body is infected with two souls.' She states to herself. She doesn't want to give that information to Sakura. That alone is torture enough. 'It's best I keep this to myself.' She concludes as she removes her hand from the girl. Sakura looks up to Kikyo worried, "What did you find?" She asks seriously.

Kikyo looks down to her in a gloomy expression. "I'm afraid that voice you've been hearing is from another being. A being I once knew long ago." Sakura sits up, "Another being is inside me?" She looks to her hands. Kikyo nods reluctantly, "Afraid so. Tell me, Sakura. When did this all happened?" She kindly encouraged her. Sakura balls her hands, "It happened 3 years ago…"

 _Flashback_

 _Sakura walks joyfully in the park laughing with her mom and dad. "Get your ice cream here. Come get your ice cream." A male voice gets their attention. "Mommy, Daddy! Can we get some?" Sakura grabs both of their hands. Her parents look at each other and then at their daughter. "Why not. Let's get some." Her father ruffles her head and they head to the ice cream parlor. Sakura smiles giddily as she begins to lick the ice cream cone in her hand. 'I was just have a great time with my parents. It was just one of those happy moments, just feeling what it's like without a care in the world, in life. But then something terrible happened.' Sakura narrates her history_

 _A few people are startled to see something coming their way. 'Get out of my way!" A young girl shouts as she runs as fast as she could. "Don't let her get away!" An older man orders anyone who was bold enough to do as he said. Sakura looks up to see a girl about her age running into her. Upon impact, the girl hits head pretty hard, though blood begins to seep out. Sakura was on the grass hurt as well. "Sakura are you alright?" Sakura mother kneels down to her as she checks to see if there are any injuries on the girl. "Yeah, my head hurts though" Sakura responds while hold her head. "You must've had brain freeze. Did you eat your ice cream quickly?" the mother asks her one of the obvious questions. Sakura shakes her head, "No I just rammed into someone." She remembers what happened so far to look to the girl who ran into her._

 _"Quick, grab her!" A man spots the body as he and other police officers take the body. "What a minute, the girl is unconscious." Sakura runs up to him. The man turns around to see Sakura with a worried look. "It's none of your business. This girl ran away from her cell. And she is indeed unconscious so we're taking her to the hospital for her to recover and then put her back in juvy." The man glares at the girl as he and the officers takes the girl away._

 _Sakura sighs as she back to the spot where she was rammed. She sees something in the grass. Something shiny. "An earring." She speaks softly as she looks back up to see her parents talking with the remaining officer who tells them about the situation. 'That's when I discovered the earring. I showed it to the office, but he had no recognition of it, so I hang onto it ever since.' Sakura explains so far._

 _End Flashback_

Sakura digs into the pocket to pull out the earring that she found on that day. Kikyo opens her palm to see if she could look at it. "This is no ordinary earring Sakura. This is a soul catcher earring." Kikyo speaks immediately to the girl. "A soul catcher? I never heard that before." Sakura replies in disbelief. Kikyo stands back up. "A soul catcher is an item that snares evil soul and keep them under control. I happen to have one that matches this one." Kikyo explains so far about the earring's purpose. "Usually, when a wearer wears it, it will sense an evil soul and trap it immediately to make sure it doesn't cause any trouble. How was it that you gotten a hold of one. Do you think it was the girl who ran into dropped it by accident?" Kikyo asks gently as she goes into her storage drawer to see if what she said is true. She opens up a little drawer and inside was a jewelry box meant for a pair of earrings. Kikyo narrows her eyes as she slowly opens up the little box and inside is the missing matching piece of the earring that Sakura gave her. "Sakura, you should be lucky that earring didn't possessed you because this is the earring I gave to that girl 3 years ago. And I know more about her than you think." Kikyo turns her head slowly to show how adamant she is about this topic.

Sakura gasps in surprised. "Possessed. All I did was hearing the voice from within myself, and I know it's not mine to begin with." She speaks as she tries to get to the bottom of this. Kikyo shakes her head. "That voice is actually part of that soul of the person who ran into you. If that girl had both earring on then she would have passed her soul into your body completely." Sakura couldn't believe what Kikyo is telling her so far. "Is there any way for me to get rid of this soul within. I'd like that." Sakura crossed her arms. Kikyo takes a few seconds to come up with an honest answer. "So far that earring was the only connection you had to that soul. And I know who it was that did it."

Sakura widens her eyes, "Really who?" Kikyo lowers her head, "It was me. I was doing everything I can to protect Kagome from the girl you encountered. Sakura didn't see that coming. "Really, how was you can to this in the first place?" Kikyo pulls out the box and sets it front of the girl on the floor. "You have this piece while I have the other. These are soul catcher earrings, Whoever wears one of each will swap souls and it cannot be reversed." She explains to her. "So far she was wearing one at the time being so which why she couldn't swap her soul with yours. You have your own soul while another is trying to take over your body. This other soul belonged to a girl who had abusive parents and she couldn't do anything about it except to do their bidding." Kikyo sadly explains what she witnessed all those years. Sakura nods, "So what can we do then. Send this girl at peace?" She lightly jokes to Kikyo.

Kikyo just stood up, "No. It's not that easy. First is to find out where the body is. Do you remember anything else from the incident?" Sakura widens her eyes in realization. "I think I found this with the earring but it's back at my house." She smiles at her. Kikyo smiles back. "That's a good start. So maybe tomorrow we can head over there to see what else you held onto." She suggests her. "Until then, I'll hang onto this so it won't fall into the hands of the innocent." Sakura agrees and grabs her bag and leaves the dojo. "Thank you Kikyo." She leaves the house completely and goes home.


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13: What to Do**

Kagome comes home by 8:30. "I'm home." She calls out to see if anyone is awake still. "Hey, Kagome. Come up here for a second." Kikyo responds as she opens her bedroom door. Kagome heads upstairs and into her sister's bedroom. Once in Kikyo quickly closes the door. "Kagome, you won't believe what I found out about Sakura." Kikyo gets to the point of the topic to her sister. Kagome sits on the side of the bed to show that she's listening. "What is it?" Kikyo pulls out the box from inside her kimono. "Don't you recognize this?" She shows the item. Kagome shakes her head. "Okay, that's to be expect. But it's what's inside the box that might change your mind." She opens up the lid to reveal what's inside. Kagome expression remains the same. "No. I never seen them before. What are they? Earrings?" She looks up to her sister.

Kikyo nods before putting the box onto her dresser. "Yes. Those earrings are soul catchers." She answers nonchalantly. Kagome blinks her eyes, "Like dream catchers to prevent nightmares to the person sleeping by it." She assumes the purpose of the item. Kikyo shakes her head, "No. The soul catcher earrings I have swap souls of the wearer. I happen to have another pair but with a different purpose." She explains so far as she goes to her jewelry box to pull out another one to reveal just a little silver hoop earring. "This was the earring I made Kyoko wear to have her do as I say since that incident." Kikyo admits the reason. Kagome gasps a little. "You made Kyoko wear this? What did you make her do?" She in surprised for real this time. Kikyo sighs, "I had to do what was best for you. To protect you from her." She takes hold of her sister's shoulders.

Kagome never saw this coming. She had no idea that Kikyo was messing with the girl who hurt her physically 3 years ago. Then when Kyoko and her parents came into court, Kyoko sneers at Kikyo after she and her parents were charged with various crimes. So far the parents were sent to prison somewhere else, while Kyoko was sent to juvenile due to her age. But then the following day, Kikyo and Kagome were waiting in the police station for their parents to explain to the police about the case. But once they came out they immediately told them that Kyoko escaped. "So what are we going to do?" Kagome asks her nervously. Kikyo sighs as she closes the box and tucks it away in one of the drawers of her dresser. "For now, Sakura is being possessed by a soul. Do you still have your mood ring on?" She turns her head to make sure.

Kagome pulls out the ring out of her backpack's pocket. "It glowed in black, like death." She answers seeing it as blue this time. "That ring is meant to sense Sakura's emotions, not yours." Kikyo explains it to her. "So in order for me to find about Sakura was when the ring turned black, the possessed soul came out of her. I saw her running towards the lav and I had to check up on her to make sure she was okay. That's why I had her over today to talk about what I can do to help her out." She keeps on going as she also frowns at the end. "However, by the time she told me how it possessed her was something I couldn't help out. Not yet. It takes a lot of my spiritual energy for me to grasps the soul and keep it away from her." She narrows her eyes due to the one thing she could not do, take a life out of someone else.

Kagome nods, "I see. Is that why you wanted me to improved my spiritual powers?" She crosses her arms in annoyance. "More or less. It's up to you." Kikyo replies as she begins brushes her hair. Kagome stands up. "I'll think about it." She leaves the room and closes the door behind her.

Sakura walks into her house. "I'm home, mom." She walks into the living room seeing her mother reading a book. "Welcome home, Sakura." Sakura's mother Mai puts her book down. "I was worried that you didn't come home in the appointed time." She frowns, which frightens Sakura. "I was just at Kikyo Higurashi's house. She wanted to help improve my grades. That's all." She replies as calmly as she could. Mai nods, "I see. Anyway I'm going to make dinner soon, so go fresh up." Mai smiles and goes into the kitchen. Sakura. Goes upstairs to the bathroom and turns on the light. "You should be grateful that Kikyo didn't suck me up." The voice spoke to her. Sakura washes her face, and looks up at herself to see her reflection in the mirror. "If you stayed any longer I'd be purified." The voice continues on. In the reflection the smoke comes out of the body, and materialized into a person. "Who are you?" Sakura asks the being. The person is a girl, the same age as her. She has black hair and tan skin along with brown eyes. "Who do you think I am? I'm the girl who bumped into you three years ago." She glared at her.

Sakura widens her eyes. "It's you. You're Kyoko." Kyoko crossed her arms. "Indeed I am. And I'm not going anywhere anytime soon." Sakura glares at her. "How is it that you possessed me in the first place?" she grabs hold of the sink. Kyoko keeps her glare. "It was when we made contact back at the park." She reminds Sakura at that moment. Sakura takes a deep breathe. 'I'm doomed.' She thought to herself. "I read your thought to claim that you're doom, which means it's true." Kyoko smugly smirks at the girl. "Could you just leave me alone for crying out loud." Sakura shouts at her reflection. A knock on the door gets her attention. "Sakura, are you ok in there?" Mai asks from the outside. "Yeah, I'm okay. I'll be right down." Sakura replies as she dries her face. "I'll deal with you later." Sakura glares at the mirror. Kyoko smirks even more, "Looking forward to it."


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14: Who's In Control**

After dinner Sakura makes her way to her bedroom, so far few boxes have been left unpack since she has moved here just recently. So far the only ones that have been finish were her mother's bedroom down the hall and the office. When Sakura enters her room, she turn on the lights from the ceiling since it's only source of light for now until she can get her bedroom the way she wants it to be. So far the bed and dresser are the only ones that provided her to get ready for the day. She gets into her drawers to get some pajamas out for the night. 'You honestly expect to wear that crap?' Kyoko exclaims to the girl through the mirror's reflection of her vanity set. Sakura closes her eyes, "A little FYI I'm in the one in the flesh so you're gonna have to deal with it rather you like it or not." Sakura replies in quiet anger so that she worried her mom.

Once dressed, she gets her haired brushed out while Kyoko sits on the bed's end. "What are we going to do to get me out of this hell hole?" She complains. Sakura places the brush down a bit too hard. " 'WE'? I don't recall agreeing with you when you first possessed me three years ago. You're on your own. But don't worry, I have something that will work in your favor." Sakura digs into her backpack to pull out something. Kyoko just watches her carefully to see what she is taking out. Out comes a talisman. "What's that?" Kyoko asks her gruffly. Sakura smiles, "This here is an Omamori. It's meant to protect me from evil spirits like you and since you like to be with me 24-7. I think I put it on…" She thinks carefully, knowing the Kyoko might figure it out before she does. '…my back." Sakura flexes her arms enough to slam the talisman onto the spot.

Sakura looks into the mirror to see that Kyoko is being sucked into the item. "I know for sure you'd be stuck to me so I have to make sure you are out of the way. And by the way, you cannot control me any longer." Sakura grins as she slides the talisman off her back into a sutra paper to keep it sealed. She couldn't be any prouder. She finally sealed away the evil soul who took hold of her own being. 'At long last I can finally sleep without any disturbances.' Sakura sighs in content. As she is about to sleep, the talisman pulsates. "You cannot get rid of me so easily!" Kyoko busted out of the talisman. Sakura gasps as she can't think of what to do now. The Omamori and talisman were the only ones she had with her when she got home.

Sakura grabs the Omamori to get hold Kyoko before she is all the way out of the talisman. Once pressed, Kyoko howls as she is being sucked back in. Once back in, Sakura pants as she keeps her hand on the talisman. "I can't keep it here." She comes to this conclusion. There's no way Sakura wants her mother to know this horrifying secret. 'I have to get back to Kikyo.' She declares and gets her light jacket on and take the talisman and omamori with her. She looks at her clock to see it's 9:23 pm. 'She might be asleep. But I don't care.' Sakura ever so quietly leaves the house like a ninja.

Kikyo is getting ready for bed as she brushing her hair. A tap on her windows gets her immediate attention. She puts down the brush to see where the tapping is coming from. Kikyo looks through the glass and see it's Sakura. She opens the window. "Sakura, what are you doing here?" Kikyo asks her. Sakura pants. "Kikyo, I can hold it any longer." Sakura quietly yells at her. Kikyo raised her brow. "Hold what any longer? Your bladder." She lightly jokes. Sakura frowns with seriousness, not taking in the sense of humor. "I'll meet you at the back door." Kikyo gives the directions. Sakura runs to the back of the house and come to the back door.

Kikyo runs down the stairs and see Sakura in a frantic manner. "So what's the matter? Why come here?" Kikyo crosses her arms, not really happy to do something that she doesn't need to do. "I'm so sorry to come at a bad time, but the Omamori and talisman aren't holding the spirit. It keeps on trying to get out." Sakura pulls out the two items from her jacket pocket and hands it to Kikyo. Kikyo takes hold of the omamori and talisman into her right hand. Looking at it clearly. So far the omamori isn't damaged anywhere. She looks at the talisman to see it's in good condition as well. "I don't see anything wrong with them. You do know that these are powerful items that keep spirits and souls sealed away." She explains to her.

Sakura knows how they work, but, "It usually does, but somehow the soul was so strong that even they weren't able to contain it. I was hoping you might be able to come up with something that it might not happen again." Kikyo look down to the two. 'She's not wrong, I can give her that. But this is troubling me.' She leads Sakura back to her dojo. "Sakura, doesn't the soul keep taunting, giving you a hard time at night?" Kikyo asks as she is turning the light on. Sakura nods, "Yeah, this spirit even told its name. Kyoko." That made Kikyo stop from mid-step. "I see, then I know just what to do." Kikyo speaks nonchalantly as she going into her drawers to pull out the earring. "I command you to expose yourself and come forth to the opening." She chants at the two items that she placed on the table. The omamori and talisman pulsate as the spirit of Kyoko emerges from them.


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter 15: Out for Revenge**

"So it took you that long to figure me out." Kyoko groans as she appears in the flesh of a ghost of some sort. Kikyo just glares at her. "Do you have any idea what you did to this poor girl?" Kikyo asks away to see if she can get any answers. Kyoko humphs with her ego going way too high for her to notice. "I don't know what you're talking about." She mumbles. Kikyo doesn't seem convinced. "Oh I do. You know exactly what I'm talking about. Three years ago you fled juvenile and ran through the park and made contact with this innocent person. Talking about a pathetic coward for who she doesn't know what to do for the rest of her life." Kikyo lectures her sternly. Sakura just sat there on the floor, waiting patiently to see what goes on.

Kyoko keeps her pose. "So what if I fled. Got any idea where my body is?" She mocks back. Kikyo couldn't help but keep her expression of seriousness, and concern for this being. "As a matter of fact, your body is in a facility for the those who are mentally unstable. For you to leave it behind that day you possessed the girl, unaware for what happened to the body." Kikyo answers it quickly as she goes to the talisman and the earring. "This is what you were wearing on that day. When Sakura made contact with it, you were absorbed into her unwilling, and became a parasite until the time is right." Kyoko crossed her arms, knowing that Kikyo is right about that.

"So why did you flee?" Sakura asks her nervously. Kyoko sneers at the girl, "Why? Why? Why? It's because I'm going not only after you Kikyo, but also someone more important than you." Kikyo and Sakura look at each other, "Just who is this person that is more important than me?" Kikyo asks but realized immediately. "That's right, Kikyo. It's Kagome. Your little sister." Kyoko grins wickedly. "But why her? What did Kagome ever did to you?" Kikyo holds onto the sutra and holds her down, "What did she do to me? What did she do to me? All she did was take the spotlight of anything we were both in. She had better grades than me. She had more awards than. And everything else in between." Kyoko growls as she tries to break hold of Kikyo's sutra.

Staying focus, Kikyo frowns, "Such a pity. You were just jealous of my sister that you want her out of the way so you can get the glory. All I can say is that you're just pathetic for you're just foolish. So what? Even though Kagome went through a worst scenario before meeting you, she never gave up to keep on going, and I'm not going to tell you a single thing about it because it's none of your business. So if I were you, I'd back off, leave her alone and go back to your body where you belong." Kikyo warns her as she places the sutra onto a statue.

Sakura just watches the scene with interest. "Sakura, you should be free from Kyoko's control since she's going to be here for a while. I suggest you go home." Kikyo covers the statue in a concealing clothe like it's never there at all. Sakura nods, "Thank you for your help, Kikyo." She smiles as she goes upstairs and out the back door.

Kikyo smiles back and it disappears when Sakura is out of her senses range. 'Kagome is in danger. I find it hard it hard to believe that Kyoko is really jealous of Kagome's achievements over the years.' Kikyo theorized as she makes her way to her bedroom. Along the walk down the hallway, Kikyo peaks into Kagome's room. She sees her sister sleeping soundly, Kikyo sadly smiles as she places a sutra on the door, on top so that Kagome won't notice. 'This is for your own good, Kagome.' She sighs and goes back to sleep.

The next morning, Kagome is about to change until she notice that her uniforms are being hung up in the laundry room in the basement. She makes it down to the staircase into the basement and senses something unsettling. 'Kagome…'The voice cries out. 'Kagome, please free me.' It pleads the girl from somewhere. Kagome shakes her head as she heads straight to her uniforms. Seeing them cleaned ready for the day the girl quickly grabs them. 'Please, Kagome. I implore you to release. I'm a peaceful spirit who has been trapped in here for years.' The voice gets her immediate attention. Kagome senses the voice is coming from the dojo that Kikyo goes in. "I'm out of here." Kagome speaks and runs up the stairs.

Kikyo sees Kagome running like a sprinter. "What's the hurry Kagome?" Kikyo takes hole of the girl's shoulder. Kagome pants to catch her breathe. "Kikyo, you won't believe even if I told you what was going on the basement." Kikyo looks intrigued. "Go on, tell me." She encourages her. Kagome takes deep breath. "I went to the basement to get my uniforms. While I was down there, an eerie voice keeps telling me to release it." Kagome describes the problem. Kikyo knows it's Kyoko who is trying to get a hold of Kagome's own soul. "You're just imagining things. Maybe you had a crazy dream that won't go away." She smiles warmly at her sister.

Kagome nods back, "You're right. I must've imagined it." She goes back into her room to change. Kikyo is already changed and goes down to the dojo. Once upon entering, the voice spoke. "You know better. You can't keep me away from Kagome. One of these days, Kikyo. I will break free and get my revenge." It claims confidently. Kikyo crossed her arms. "Kyoko, you're sealed away by my, not Kagome. And if Kagome were to ever know about your return, she'll never be the same again." She warns her as she bangs the statue with the sutra. "Ow." Kyoko whines even though she is unseen and no injury is visible to anyone else. "Good. We both know it works, and you won't be coming out anytime soon." Kikyo leaves the dojo. The statue begins to glow violent red. "I WILL HAVE MY REVENGE!" Kyoko screams at the top of her lungs.


	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter 16: Day of Terror**

Kagome makes it to school just in the nick of time. If she didn't had her uniforms ready for the day she wouldn't be able to come at all. But for that is in the past and she must walk into her own unknown future, what that is anyway. When she takes her seat, she spots Sakura sitting with a frown on her face. Feeling concerned already, Kagome pokes her on the back. "Oh, hi Kagome. I didn't see you there." Sakura rubs the back of her neck in embarrassment. Kagome smiles back. "It's ok. I was almost late anyway." She replies as she tries to lighten up the mood in between them. "You're never late, that's unlike you." Sakura pointed out seeing how earlier Kagome usually is when it comes to attendance. "Yeah, but I forgot that my uniforms wear hanging up and I had to go down to the basement to retrieve them. But then something was trying to contact me out of nowhere." Kagome explains her reason.

When Sakura heard the final sentence about Kagome hearing someone out of the blue made her really nervous. 'Kagome mustn't know anything about Kyoko. If the word gets out, Kagome will be in serious danger.' Kikyo warns her. "You okay?" Kagome asks her innocently. Sakura shakes her head violently, "Sorry, I just a bad headache. But it's nothing serious." She reassures her just right before the bell rung to alert the students that it's time to learn.

Back at the Higurashi household, Ai goes down to the basement to do a load of laundry for the family. While she begins to sort between the whites and colors an eerie voice calls out. "Help me, please." Ai looks around to see nothing out of the ordinally. "I'm begging you. I'm trapped in here." The voice cries out to get her attention. Ai focuses on where the voice is coming from. She turns to her right to find out that it's coming from her daughter's dojo. She and Hige were informed that Kikyo is a priestess and she needed a place of privacy for her training so the only spot to build it in the basement. "Why would I want to free you?" Ai speaks out to the voice. She cautiously enters the dojo to see that it's empty. Well it's a school so the girls at school instead of here. "I've been sealed away by an evil person. If I'm not free, evil will begin to grow." The voice replies innocently, hoping in order for Ai to release it.

Ai looks around to see various items that Kikyo uses in her training. From sutras of exorcises to statues in unusual poses of meditation. "I'm in here." The voice speaks as it tries to shake the statue that is shaking. Ai spots the statue with a sutra on it. Ai places her hand onto the sutra feeling an uneasy feeling. "Pull the peal of the statue." It instructs her. Under trance, Ai automatically pull of the peel off the statue thus freeing the being.

Once free Kyoko laughs like a maniac. "I'm free at last!" Ai shakes her head to hear a familiar voice. "Thanks to you, I'm going to have my revenge." Kyoko grins at the woman. "Kyoko. What happened?" Ai tries to stand back up. "I flee juvy and made contact with another person by accident, and now I was able to manipulate the girl to get me close to your daughters who tortured me." Kyoko glares at her. Ai widens her eyes. "My daughters? Kikyo had to take matters into her own hands to protect Kagome. You had the gall to harm Kagome and I was furious about it. You're one who was abused by your own parents and you wanted to take it out on Kagome. And that is never going to be forgiven, no matter what."

Kyoko knew for sure that Ai was right about her own past. True her parents were in relationships with Ai and Hige and it went downhill from there. "Look Kyoko. If there's anyone you want to send your anger to, do it to ones who abused you over the years, not someone else who had nothing to do with you." Ai advices her as she finds out she has the peel in her hand. Kyoko spots the peel and flees the house. "I'm not going back in there." She shouts as she disappears. Ai looks outside in shock. "Oh no. I've to tell Kikyo." She tells herself as she goes into the kitchen to get her cell phone and texts Kikyo.

Back at school, Kikyo is minding her own business, paying attention to whatever her teacher is teaching for today. But then her cell begins to vibrate. Knowing that whenever her phone is vibrating, it means one thing: Something wrong is going on. Kikyo raises her hand. "What's the matter?" The teacher asks in annoyance. "I have to use the lav." She requests. The teachers shrugs her shoulders, "Go on." She allows it. Kikyo smiles in thanks and leaves the room. When she gets into the lav, she gets into her cell to see why it was vibrating. Opening up the screen, it's a text from her mother. "Kikyo, Kyoko has tricked me into releasing her from her seal. She's after you and your sister. I'm so sorry." With a sad emoji symbol after it.

Kikyo knows one thing. Since Sakura is free from her control, Kikyo sealed her into a statue, and then Kyoko tricked Ai into releasing her and explained why she was free was for revenge. "Kagome is in danger. And probably, everyone else." She comments to herself as she has to come up with something to stop Kyoko from her complete revenge. "And there's no time to waste." She runs out of the lav.

Kagome is in one of her own classrooms, paying ever so attention to whatever her teacher is talking about, or whatever is on the chalkboard. Like that she cared. Not entirely though. It was what Sakura was like this morning. There's something that Sakura is hiding, and yet she's not. Kagome is too focus that she didn't noticed that Sango was tapping on her shoulder. Kagome looks up to see Sango worried. "Something bothering you?" She asks in the note she stealthily passed to her. Kagome scribbles back and passes the note. "Nothing in particular." As such the bell rings to let the students that it's time for lunch.


	17. Chapter 17

**Chapter 17: Chaotic Afternoon**

Upon arriving on the school's roof, Kagome and Sango make themselves. "You seemed worried about something, Kagome." Sango starts off as they begin to eat casually. "Me worried? I doubt it." She declines Sango's theory. Sango doesn't seems convinced. "Oh come on, Kagome. You've been this way since morning. If Inuyasha was here, he'd sniff you out…"

"Achoo!" Inuyasha sneezes as he's still home sick. 'Damn, whoever is talking about me is gonna pay for making me sneeze.' He groans as he tries to go back to sleep in a sickly manner as he coughs as well.

Kagome knew that Sango was right. If Inuyasha was here, he'd proved it. "Ok. But yeah I'm worried about Sakura. Something wasn't right about her. Not in a bad way." Kagome admits so far. Soon enough the door opens up to reveal Miroku and Kikyo. "What brings you guys up here?" Sango asks the new duo. Kikyo comes up to Kagome immediately. "Kagome, the ring that you wore was meant to release something from within Sakura." She explains so far rather easily. Kagome shows that she's listening. "Ok. So what was it that was released from her? She was nice to me so far." She answers so far. Kikyo pulls out something from her bag. "You know we can't use them here." Kagome points out one of the rules of their school. "Nonetheless, it's only for emergencies and it turns out that I received one not too long ago." Kikyo assures her as she opens up the screen to show the picture that their mother sent.

Kagome was handed the phone as she looks at it. On the screen was a spirit of some sort, but upon looking closely, Kagome widens her eyes. "On no." She mumbles in fear. "Kagome. What's the matter?" Sango asks as she tries to hold her shoulders to calm her shaking body. "Kikyo, is it who I think it is?" Kagome speaks a but louder to make sure that she heard her sister. Kikyo nods with a ashamed expression. "Yes. It's Kyoko." She answers, thus making Miroku and Sango look at each other, then to them. "As in the girl who injured Kagome three years ago?" Miroku questions Kikyo. Kagome nods. "Afraid so. Sakura, could you come up here, please." Kikyo calls out to the door they used. It opens up to reveal Sakura in a ashamed look as well. "Kagome. I'm so sorry for what I did the other day when the ring changed color. It wasn't your fault." Kagome realized now that Kikyo was doing something without her knowing it up until now. "Kikyo, you sent me the mood ring, but it was meant for her, not me." She crossed her arm in disbelief. Kikyo kneels down, "Kagome, I know what I did was wrong, but ever since Sakura came in, I had a hunch that something wasn't right with her. So I had you to get close enough to her to activate the ring's ability to awaken whatever it was that was possessing her. I'm so sorry for what I did." She apologizes as her bangs cover her eyes. Miroku walks up to her. "But why did you hid it from her?" He asks her "I had to do it because I didn't want Kagome to go through that ago after what Kyoko did. I just couldn't bare seeing her suffer through that torture. I had to do whatever I could to protect her, even if I was crossing the line."

Miroku quickly looks up. "What's the matter, Miroku?" Sango asks him as she stands up. He narrows his eyes. "It's an evil aura coming this way." He answers the question. "Do you think it's her?" Sango asks him curiously. Kikyo stands up. "Yes. That's Kyoko's aura I'm sensing." She approves to them. Soon enough a strong gust of wind blows on them. "If isn't Kikyo Higurashi." A voice calls out to them. The crew look up to see Kyoko is flying in the air. "What do you want, Kyoko?" Kikyo asks the spirit. Kyoko crossed her arms. "Isn't it obvious, I'm after a particular person and it turns that she's with you. Isn't that right, Kagome?"

Kagome looks up in utter surprised. "Kyoko? But why are you after me? What did I ever do to you that made you go through all this?" She asks so boldly even though she's trying calm her shaking form. Kyoko flies in quickness no one saw it coming. "Why? Why? It's because you have taken all the glory. You got the awards for anything you've done. And I felt like I wasn't there to received them." She answers in fury as the aura around begin to darken. Kagome understands now. "Especially you weren't aware that you're a priestess. I couldn't bare it to know such a person to be such a thing." She continues on.

"How pitiful." Kagome comments her explanation. "What did you say?" Kyoko asks her in shock. "Kyoko, first of all, I hardly even felt the slightest of being extremely proud of whatever I did when you were around. I was taught that even I may got good results I have to make sure I express my feelings as minimum. If I did that, then I wouldn't hurt someone else's feelings of their own accomplishments." She points out why she had to be like that. It's to make sure someone would feel they were accepted no matter what they did. But when it came to awards, there were only a select few who were worthy to accomplish it.

Kyoko growls, "Like hell! Ever since then I couldn't stop hating you. I couldn't help but to feel this way whenever I was around you. All you did was get the credit!" She shouts out. Kikyo pulls out a stone from behind and silent chants something. The stone shines, "Now be sealed." She speaks the final phrase as the stone begins to absorb Kyoko. "What the…?" Kyoko turns around to see that she's being dragged into a stone in Kikyo's hands. She screams as she is sucked in. "Now Miroku." Kikyo shouts as Miroku pulls out of his own sutras and places it onto the stone. "There. That should hold her in there for awhile." Miroku explains the powers of his own spiritual powers of a monk. "If it's alright, I'll take it to my temple and have it closed off so no one would be able to know about this." He suggest to them.

Kikyo holds her chin, "Yes. I don't think I have what it take to keep a secret like that around mom and dad. Kyoko possessed my mother into releasing her so she could confront us. But for now, you should take care of it." She agrees on this idea. "If so, we need to find her own body to make sure she doesn't go on a rampage." Sango comes up with her own idea. Kagome nods, "I agree. Until then we have to make sure that everything else is okay. Not only that, Inuyasha is still sick and he's in no condition to go after her is that's going to happen." She then turns to Sakura.

"Sakura. I know how hard it must've been for you to endure such a thing. And I'm sorry for what I did the other to make that happen." She speak in such gentleness Sakura just sniffles. "I'm sorry too, Kagome. I wish I was more aware of this but I wasn't strong enough to control it." She hugs her. Kagome was taken aback but she returns the hug to let her know that she's out of Kyoko's clutches.


	18. Chapter 18

**Chapter 18: Homework**

By the end of the day, Miroku heads straight to his temple to make sure that Kyoko doesn't escape her prison again. According to him, he's been a monk like his father, and grandfather so it's better off to task someone who has more experience of spiritual powers than Kagome and Kikyo. Not that he would offended them due to the fact that they were born as priestesses out of the blue, which is rare to begin. "None taken, Miroku. I just wish that Inuyasha was here to see this. Boy he would've had a blast for what happened today." Kagome giggles imagining on how it would look like.

"Speaking of such, why don't you go over to his place to check on him. I have his homework assignments. And I have my own." Miroku hands over Kagome Inuyasha's assignments. "Will do. Wanna come along, Kikyo?" She looks up to her sister. Kikyo smiles sadly. "Sorry. But I have to research on why Kyoko was able to have her soul out of her body in the first place." She declines and heads home. "Anyone else? Sango? Sakura?" Sango shakes her head for her answer. Sakura did the same so Kagome is on her own for this one. "Ok, I'll see you guys later." Kagome smiles as she walks the street that Inuyasha lives on.

Inuyasha sneezes again. "Damn, why do I have to be sick at a time like this?" He coughs afterwards. "It's just the seasonal cold. Anybody can catch it unexpectedly. You were one of the unfortunate ones." Izayoi answers as she presses the ice pack on top of his forehead to get his temperature down. From what she found out so far, the thermometer showed a 102.2 degrees. "I'm tired of being sick. I've been missing out a lot of stuff at school." He complains to her. Izayoi sighs back. "Well, Miroku should be on his way over to drop of your missing work." She smiles.

The doorbell rings. "Ah, speak of the devil." Izayoi comments the saying and heads downstairs to the door. She opens up and is surprised to see Kagome with her son's assignments. "Hello, Kagome. I see you brought my son's assignments." She smiles down at her. "I did Mrs. Takahashi. I know Miroku is usually the one who does it, but something came up and he wanted me to do it. Not that I don't mind doing." Kagome replies as Izayoi welcomes her in. "That's so sweet of you. Inuyasha is up in his room. You can go up and give it to him." Izayoi gestures the stairs to the second floor. "Ok." Kagome smiles as she goes up.

Inuyasha coughs again and again. A knock on the door gets his attention. "Come in, Miroku." He allows his friend in. But instead of Miroku, it's Kagome who came in. "Oh, um. Sorry, I thought Miroku was stopping by for dropping off my stuff." He speaks in embarrassment due to the condition he's in. "Sorry. Miroku had something to take care and wanted me to do it in his place." Kagome walks in shyly as she looks around his room on where to put the stuff. "I guess that when you're sick, your sense of smell isn't so sharp." She comments as she places the stuff onto his desk. Inuyasha groans. "True. Being a half demon I'd be able to sniff you our before you'd arrive. But because I'm sick it'd be as if my senses were shut down." He explains the symptoms. Kagome knows how it feels. "Yeah tell me about it. She sits on his desk chair. "Being sick makes you feel so weak and vulnerable. You can't breathe through your nose. You have a sore throat that it's hard to talk." She agrees with him. "So what did I missed today?" Inuyasha asks as he sits up from lying down on his back.

Kagome looks down to the stack. "Hmm. Well so far you missed your math and history classes yesterday, and science and literature today." She reads down the list. "Great my worst enemies have come to work with me." He sarcastically complains to her. Kagome couldn't help but giggles at that. "So which one would you like to do first?" She asks as she wants him to stay on track. "Science." He answers her. Kagome picks up the science stuff and hands it to him. "Which part of science are we on?" He asks her. Kagome reads what's on top of the page. "Looks like it's Biology. Which I hate the most." She honestly confesses to him.

Inuyasha didn't believe that Kagome hated Biology. "Is it because it's embarrassing to learn it?" He jokes to her. Kagome frowns, "No, it's just I can't understand it at all. There's so much to learn with a cell, the stuff it contains in it. Ugh it sucks." She groans in frustration. Science wasn't much of Kagome's strong suit. No matter how much she had to learn it, it just didn't make any sense to her. "Okay, but did you take notes on them throughout the day?" He asks her. Kagome nods as she pulls out her own homework with the notes and textbook that goes with the subject.

"So which part of Biology are we on?" Inuyasha asks her as she browses through her notes. "It's Microbiology. Stuff like the atoms and such." She answers as she shows how the process works. Inuyasha looks down to his homework to see what's on it. Questions about the molecules and the atoms and such. "How good are you in Biology?" She asks him nervously. Sure Kagome isn't good at the Biology part. But she is curious to see if Inuyasha is better than her. "I'm not that bad. But a few parts are kind of hard to understand. But I think I might help you out." He smiles in the end through his answer.

Kagome sighs in relief. At least she hopes that what Inuyasha said to her was true. There's no telling what the outcome will be. "Okay, let's get started then." She claps her hands as they begin their homework together.


	19. Chapter 19

**Chapter 19: Kikyo's Visit**

Kikyo had something up her sleeve that she doesn't want to let her sister or their friends to know what it. Not yet that it is. She walks along the sidewalks of the town. Upon turning the corner, Kikyo spots where she is heading to. The building up ahead looks like a hospital of some sort. "The Department of Mental." She reads the sign. More accurately the asylum. She takes a deep breath. "Entering this building it like putting your life on the line." She comments to herself as she comes through the doors. Inside is the lobby is a few people, either sane or insane. It depends on what each of them went through.

She comes to the front desk. Behind it is a regular girl writing down something. "Excuse me." Kikyo speaks nicely. The girl looks up to her with a smile. "May I help you?" Kikyo takes deep breathe. "I was wondering if there's a girl whose name is Kyoko Pumatino?" She asks gently. The girl goes onto the computer to look up for the person to see if she's here. "Ah, here it is. She's on the fourth floor. But I must give you a fair warning." She looks to Kikyo with a concerned face. "She's been in this place for three years and not even our professionals can get through to her." Kikyo sees this as an opportunity. "I see. But I want to check to see if I can get to her." She smiles as she goes to the elevator and presses the 4th floor.

The elevator door opens up to reveal Kikyo that this floor isn't like the other the first floor. As she steps out carefully, she can see some the doors are locked from the outside. "Oh hello there." A worker comes up to her. The worker is in blue scrubs and it's a girl who's in her 20's. "Hi. I'm looking for a girl on this floor. Kyoko Pumatino." Kikyo smiles to her. The worker looks at her nervously. "Oh. She's not to be approached. She's been unstable for three years. No one wants to check on her." She explains the problem to Kikyo.

Kikyo nods. "I see. But I think I can get through to her. I'm not leaving this building until I finish my visit. Now tell me which room she's staying in." Kikyo replies in determination. The worker is worried that she might risk her own job. "Room 20." She points in the direction where the room is. Kikyo smiles to her. "Thank you for your help." She walks in the direction the worker pointed towards.

Walking the hallway Kikyo can clearly see that there's workers during everything they can to check their patients in checked, for their own safety. Just looking around herself is sending shivers up her spine. She look up to the number on the door "Room 20. This is the spot." She looks around to see if anyone is watching her. As of yet, a few are worried for what might happen to her if something goes wrong. She looks down to see a code on the door. "I guess this is why they don't want their patients to go ramped." She states out the obvious. "I must warn you, young lady." It's the same worker who welcomes her earlier. "I've heard from that from the receptionist when I first came in." Kikyo assures her. "Now tell me what the code is to get in." She tells her seriously this time.

The worker sighs in defeat. She pressed a few number to unlock the door. Once pushed, the door opens up as it shows Kikyo that the room is pitch dark. She walks in casually so that the person in the room wouldn't get spooked. Kikyo looks up ahead with the help of the light from the hallway. On the other side of the room is a bed. On it is a girl. From the looks of it, the girl is sleeping peacefully. "I don't see anything wrong with her." Kikyo comments the scene. The worker comes up to Kikyo. A tap of the shoulder get her attention. Kikyo turns to her. The worker points to the bed's post.

Kikyo looks to it and widens her eyes. The bedpost has one end of the hand cuffs and it's on its metal post. So that would mean one thing. The open window's lets in a breeze in. The moving air lifts up the covers of the bed and reveal that the other end of the handcuffs is on the girl's wrist. Kikyo walks around and checks to see that the other side of the bed is the same way. 'Oh man. Now I know why these workers won't come in. "Say I didn't warn you." The worker groans. Kikyo isn't convinced though. She looks closely to the girl. 'She's in a coma.' She concludes. "So what do you have in mind about her? Have there ever been any reactions?" Kikyo asks the worker. The worker looks at the girl. "Ever since she first came here, she was hallucinating about another girl." The worker answers as she goes onto the clipboard. The patient is Kyoko Pumatino. She's 15 years old. And she's been in a coma for three years. Luckily she's still alive, but just barely." She reads the papers. "She was knocked unconscious when she collided with another girl. She was being chased by the police officers when she escaped juvy. Due to the danger she can be, we have to chain her down as a precaution." The worker explains what this girl did.

Kikyo now understands. The compact of the collision may have done brain damage to Kyoko. "What about the hallucinations? Has she say anything?" Kikyo asks the worker to see if there's a clue to the answer. The worker looks down to the paper work for the progress over the years. "Hmm, the only thing she said was 'Higurashi'. Other than that it's stuttering, mumbling, and unknown stuff that any of us could really get." The worker explains the details. Kikyo looks down to the girl. 'Such a soulless body. No wonder Kyoko is after me and possibly Kagome.' She speaks in her head. She doesn't want this one worker to know her true priestess powers. "I see now. Her soul cannot rest in peace until she gets revenge on the person who did this to her in the first." She said to the worker.

"Hi…gu…ra…shi… I will get you." The girl murmurs. "Just like this. It happens every day and yet she hasn't spoken anything properly." The worker closes the curtains after the window. Kikyo nods. "Then I have no choice but to find that person who confronted her long ago. Otherwise, she'll remain like this for the rest of her life." Kikyo leaves the room. 'And I have something that needs to be settled.'


	20. Chapter 20

**Chapter 20: No More Fooling Around**

Miroku enters his temple. "Welcome home, Miroku." An elderly monk greets him. Miroku looks towards to see his master Mushin is in his monk wardrobes. "Yes, thank you." He bows as he takes off his shoes since it's a house rule. "What do you have there, my boy?" Mushin asks as he walks besides the youngster. Miroku looks down to the statue that he promised to look after from Kagome's sake. "Oh this. I've been tasked to look after it." He simply answers, leaving out the real reason. Mushin observes the statue in Miroku's hand. But the looks of it, it's a just statue of a figurine, no one in particular or anyone famous. "I do sense an evil aura trapped within." Mushin states out the obvious.

Miroku nods, "It is. This statue contains an evil spirit who is after someone. I cannot let this spirit run crazy and go after that innocent victim." He explains so far about the spirit's past. Mushin nods. "I see. Well carry on, and make sure you keep that statue sealed up. We don't want another victim to be targeted by the likes of it." Mushin smiles and walks away from Miroku. Looking up ahead into his room, He has to do whatever he can to make sure nothing happens to it, or worst, Kagome.

Kagome enters her bedroom. "Ugh, why do I have to be with that guy? All I did was hang out with him instead of giving him his missing assignments." She groans as she slams herself onto her bed. Well it's true for what she just said. But that simple hanging out became more of a staying longer than she should and have dinner with the family. She called her mother and tell her what she's been doing throughout the afternoon. Not that it would worry her or anything. But being at that place for that long worn Kagome out. A knock on her door makes her turn her head to the person. "Oh, hey Kikyo." Kagome sits up in front as she goes into her backpack to see if she forgot anything. "Hey, can I talk to you about something?" She asks as she sits beside her sister.

Kagome nods to her. "I just want to let you know that I went somewhere I shouldn't really be going to." She admits to Kagome. Kagome on the other hand looks confused. "Like where? The places that have fences and with the say "Do Not Enter or trespass."?" She lightly jokes to her. Kikyo frowns at the sight. "No it was a hospital I went to after school." She looks to see Kagome with the same confused face. "I don't see anything wrong of not going to the hospital unless you're fatally wounded or something with the human body." Kagome comments the reason. Kikyo looks out the window to avoid the girl's expression. "That hospital holds a particular person we are familiar with. You know who I'm preferring to." She narrows her eyes as she speaks out.

Kagome thinks very carefully for what Kikyo just told her. 'Someone who is familiar to us. But who?' She asks herself in her head. "Kagome…" Kikyo turns her sight back to her. Kagome looks up at her attentively. "This person I talking about is Kyoko Pumatino." Hearing that made Kagome pulse unresponsive. "No. It can't be her. How is it that she's in the hospital? What happened to her?" Kagome speaks in fright as she holds her sister's shoulder in disbelief. Kikyo gently takes the hands off of her. "First off, she's in coma, and she was knocked unconscious while she tried to escape juvenile after the court case. I would never have imagine that she would go this far to find us. But I think it's more than that." Kikyo calms her down through the answer. Kagome nods. "So she's been in a coma for three years?" She assumes. Kikyo sadly nods. "More or less. More like she lost her soul." She specifically answers the question. "Lost her soul?" Kagome is now confused. Not that she knows that when someone dies, their soul dissolves into nothing or be reincarnated into another being when its born.

Kagome looks at Kikyo with worry. "No she somehow moved her soul into another living being. You know the rest." Kikyo tells her so far. Kagome now gets it a bit more. The one girl who was so innocent was a victim of a spirit who manipulated her to do its own bidding. "I was fortunate enough to get Kyoko's soul out, but Sakura wasn't strong enough to hold it in. So I had to let Miroku take care of it." Kikyo explains to her. Kagome can now see where this is going. After all this time, Kikyo was doing everything she can to protect Kagome Kyoko's wrath. Not only that she had to make sure that Kagome was ready to know the truth about it as well. "So then, I need to improve my own spiritual powers if I were to face her." Kagome confidently speaks as she stands up from the bed.

Kikyo didn't see this coming. "Kagome, you just begun. What made you think you can improve in such a short time?" Kikyo stands up after. Kagome calms down. "Kikyo, when I found out I was priestess I promised that I would do whatever I could to help out in any way that I can. So please, help me on that. You're the only one I know who knows her stuff. If not I won't be able to confront her corrected if that were to happen. So I need to be onboard with this." Kagome looks at her with determination in her eyes. Kikyo smiles back. "I'm with you, Kagome. I've got your back. We'll resume our training tomorrow." She agrees with Kagome's positive attitude.

Inuyasha coughs as he tries to complete his homework and missing assignments. A knock gets his ear to twitch. "Come in." He allows the door to open to reveal Sesshomaru. "Hello, little bro. Looks like you've been down with the seasonal cold." He speaks in smug. Inuyasha twitches his eyes. "Says you. You never gotten sick. Not once." He points at his older brother. Sesshomaru shrugs his shoulders, not in the mood to tease him. "I'm just up here for the week. What subject are you working on?" Sesshomaru asks as he pulls his brother's desk chair and sits on it from behind. "Nothing just some damn algebra. Kagome came over earlier to do some homework with me, but she and I have been having a hard time figuring out these equations of algebra." Inuyasha shows his brother the formulas and everything.

Sesshomaru looks at the work so far. "You're gonna flunk at this. But I'm good at this stuff. But there's going to be a catch though." He grins. Inuyasha looks at him like he's up to something to isn't going to be good. "What do you want?" Inuyasha crosses his arms due to his stubbornness. Sesshomaru looks around the room to see what he can do with it. "I'll do your math homework for something in return." He starts off. "And that would be…" Inuyasha replies to see what he wants. "…to find Kyoko's parents."


	21. Chapter 21

**Chapter 21: Family Secrets**

Inuyasha just widen his eyes. "Kyoko's Parents? Shouldn't I be going after Kyoko herself?" He asks so far, not to go crazy. "Kikyo is taking care of that so far. From what she told me that Kyoko is in a mental hospital and she doesn't want Kagome to know about it. Not yet anyway." Sesshomaru digs into his pocket to pull out a slip of paper and hands it to his brother. "What's this?" Inuyasha opens up the slip to see it's an address. "That's the facility where Kyoko's parents are in. Due to the charges, the only way we can talk to them is going through their records." Inuyasha looks down to the place. 'Department of the Correction Institute.' "This is insane, Sesshomaru." He comments to his brother's plan. Sesshomaru just looks down to his brother's homework. "Insane, Sane. It doesn't matter. If we spend another second, there's no telling when Kyoko or her parents would be out and go after Kagome." He persuades Inuyasha as he reads the problems so carefully.

Inuyasha groans as he knows that whenever Sesshomaru bribes him, he has to do his bidding. "Fine. I'm off then." He admits defeat as he goes into his closet to get his watch. "No." Sesshomaru stops him. "Why not? Do you want me to go after them or not." Inuyasha stares at him just right before he pressed the button on his disguised watch. "I'll take care of your homework, in the meantime you should be better by morning because the cold should be out of your yeah. And luckily tomorrow is Saturday so you have the entire weekend to get the information that you need." Sesshomaru takes his brother's math homework.

Inuyasha just watches him leave the room with his homework. "It's due Monday." He reminds Sesshomaru. He just waves off. Inuyasha frowns at the door and looks back to the watch in his hand. Looking to make sure no one is looking in, he smiles and presses the button. "Well, it's a good time as ever." He speaks as the watch pulsates. The pulsate connects to his skin as his long silvery hair turns jet black, his golden eyes become wooden brown, his dog ears are now humans ones. And his claws become fingernails. 'It's been awhile since I've disguised myself as a human. Other than the nights of the new moon.' He looks out to see that moon is a waxing gibbous, thus leaving a glow to look beyond the night. "At least it work." He said as he takes off the watch and returns his original form and puts it in his night stand drawer.

The next morning, Inuyasha wakes up due to the sunlight glowing through the windows in his bedroom. He turns to see that the clock says it's pass 7. "Oh come on. This early?" He growls as he tries to repositions himself into a more comfortable pose. "Inuyasha, wake up right now." Sesshomaru busted into his room. Inuyasha growls at him. "What now? I'm trying to sleep here, you jerk." Sesshomaru yanks the blankets off his brother. "Now's not the time for you to go back to sleep. You should be well enough to get out of the house." He states to see his brother isn't sniffling or coughing anymore.

"So what? Even if I am still sick I shouldn't be leaving the house at all." Inuyasha shouts back as he tries to stretches his body. Sesshomaru begs to differ. "I beg to differ. By the looks of it, you're fine. So get your ass out of bed and do your part of our deal." He leaves the room. Inuyasha growls as he changes into a baggy jeans, and a red hoodie. He puts on his watch and disguised himself as a human and leaves the house.

Kikyo and Kagome are down in the dojo and dressed up in their priestess outfits and sit across from each other. "Now, Kagome. Focus on your powers and channel them throughout your body." Kikyo instructs her sister. Kagome observes her sister's progress as she sees the pinkish glow wraps around her own body. Kagome closes her eyes and follows the instructions. Within seconds she feels a certain warmth covering herself. Kikyo opens her eyes to observe Kagome's work. "Nicely done. You have worked very hard on controlling your powers." She comments gently.

Kagome smiles back, "Thank you. May I ask you something Kikyo?" Kagome speaks ever so seriously. Kikyo nods back. "Go on." Kagome takes a deep breath. "Kikyo…what happened to Kyoko?" She dwindles her fingers nervously. Kikyo knew that this was going to happen sooner or later. "Kagome. Kyoko is in a coma." She answers casually. "In a coma? But I thought we saw her as a spirit yesterday." Kagome looks up to her curiously. Kikyo nods as she stands up and pulls out a scroll from one of the shelves. "You know the method for when someone passes away, they are sent to heaven or hell depending on what they did throughout there lives." She explains the information. "Yes, pretty much. But why would Kyoko be a spirit if she's in a coma? That doesn't make any sense to me." Kagome looks down to the scroll the Kikyo unrolls to reveal more.

"There are many different religions around the world who decide on how they want those who passed on to be remembered by. So far we have our cemeteries where our loved ones are buried…" She explains so far. "But then there are times when the body dies, but the soul is not ready to pass on, it'll go after the particular person who made them suffer. From what I can think of Kyoko's position, she's in near death that she wanted her soul to inhabit another body to find that person, in other words you." Kikyo answers with wisdom in her voice.

Kagome sadly frowns at this. "She was just jealous about my own accomplishments. And jealousy is a negative feeling. Those who are jealous want the same attention that another one gets. It's no wonder she's so bitter at me. What caused her to be in a coma in the first place?" Kikyo sighs "She escaped juvy when she was sent there for her charges. She encountered Sakura at the park and collided with her thus possess her, and leaving her body as an empty shell, hence her being in a coma, if you know what I mean." Kikyo explains the scenario. Kagome frowns. "The poor girl. But then again. When we were at court, Kyoko's parents were there as well for charges of their own and endangering her and make her live through such terrible areas. I feel sorry for her." Kagome spoke in sympathy.


	22. Chapter 22

**Chapter 22: Deep Scars of Emotions**

Inuyasha walks down the street where the address his brother wrote down for him the night before. Finding the number on the building, Inuyasha looks up to see it's the police station. 'Really, Sesshomaru. You sent me here so you can do my math homework?' He growls in frustration. He sighs to calm down and walk straight into the building. Upon arriving the place, Inuyasha looks around to see that there's a few criminals in handcuffs, charges for any crime they committed earlier. A few officers are working on paperwork. He walks up to the front desk. "Excuse me." He gets the one officer's attention. "Yes, may I help you?" The office replies with a straight face. Inuyasha gulps, "I'm looking for a person's last name. Pumatino." He asks the question calmly. The officer turns his chair to type down the last name. "Ah Pumatino. There's two of them here actually. I believe they're married. You request a phone call with them?" He asks one of the questions for a prisoner to speak with the other individual. Inuyasha nod, "Yeah, I'd like to speak to the father first, if that's okay with him that is."

Inside of a cell is man in an orange jumpsuit, with facial hair of a moustache and a beard. "Pumatino." A police officer gets his attention. "What do you want this time? It's been 3 years since my sentencing. I want to remain here in peace." He spoke in anger. "Cut the crap, Toshi, you have a visitor who's waiting on the other line of the phone. Get your ass over there, and don't be a jackass when speaking to him." The office unlocks the door to let him out. Toshi just glares and heads to the room where the phones are in.

Toshi walks into an empty booth to see who it was on the side of the plexiglass window. When he sees the person, he doesn't recognized. He sits down and picks up the phone. "Who are you?" He asks rather rudely. Inuyasha picks his phone on the wall. "You may not know me, but I know you." He replies back just as rude. Toshi sighs, "Just tell me who you are so I can move on with my miserable life." He spoke in such sadness. Inuyasha shows his watch. "Do you know what this is." He asks as he stares at him. Toshi looks at the watch. "Just a wristwatch if you're trying to make a fool out of me." He replies. Inuyasha chuckles, "Make a fool out of you. Most definitely." Toshi frowns even more. "And how is that I'm a fool here?" He asks sarcastically. Inuyasha pulls out a picture of Kagome. "Do you recognize this girl?" He asks the man.

Toshi widens. "She looks like Ai Higurashi." Inuyasha rolls his eyes, "That's because this is her daughter, Kagome. The girl that you forced your daughter Kyoko to hurt. What was your purpose to have your daughter to hurt Kagome?" Inuyasha speaks in wrath. Toshi rolls his eyes. "Isn't it obvious. You forgot what my wife Hima and I said as in why we did it. It was because of Kagome's own parents and how we both cheated on one another." He explains to the boy. Inuyasha doesn't changes his expression. "Pathetic. It happens all of the time. You and your wife just went overboard ever since. You couldn't stand it on your own and you want your daughter to carry out that anger, and inflict on Kagome. That's it absolute pathetic of you. And pretty much of coward that you really are. If I'm not mistaken, I bet your wife is in the same scenario as you are." Inuyasha hangs up the phone and leaves the room. Toshi hangs up his phone, 'He's right. I deserve this kind of punishment. This consequence.' He sighs and goes back to his assigned cell.

Kikyo walks up to the police station, and sees Inuyasha with a mad look on his face. "Inuyasha." She waves to him. Inuyasha turns his attention to her. "Oh hi there." He gets to her at the bottom of the stairs. "Why were you here? You didn't commit a crime did you?" She teases him. Inuyasha crossed his arms, "Not even the slightest, I went in there to talked to Toshi Pumatino. Kyoko's Father." He answers to her. Kikyo is surprised to hear that from him. "Why are you here? You don't have anyone in particular to talk to." He teases her this time. Kikyo frowns, "Not even the slightest. I'm just walking back from my trip to the hospital to see a friend. Nothing more." She casually lies so she wouldn't get Inuyasha the wrong idea.

Inuyasha shrugs his shoulders. "Okay. I'll see you later." He leaves to go back home. Kikyo waits a few seconds until Inuyasha was completely out of view. She walks into the police station and asks the officer to see if there's a Pumatino in there. From what the officer could find was two of them. Kikyo requests the mother for a phone call. "Right this way miss." The officer takes her to the phone room. Kikyo looks around to see other people are doing the same method. After getting herself comfortable, a woman in an orange jumpsuit comes to the booth. "What do you want with me, Higurashi?" The woman glares at Kikyo. Kikyo picks up the phone. "Hima Pumatino. I'm impressed that you know me that well. I believe your own daughter told you otherwise." She sasses at her. Hima glares at her. "That girl of mine was just a waste. She didn't do much in school and I can't be proud of her. She had it coming to her." She tells her. Kikyo doesn't seem to worry. "Such a pity. Your daughter is jealous of Kagome's accomplishment that you decided to use that to your advantage to harm my sister. Not only that you even harmed your own daughter because you don't give a damn about her. What kind of mother are you?" Kikyo begins to glow around herself to intimidate this woman.

"What kind of a mother you, Hima?" Kikyo repeats the question. Hima looks down in shame. "I thought so. You're just a pathetic, cowardly, and most of all, afraid." Hima widens her eyes in the last part. "Afraid? I'm not afraid." She crosses her one arm in a stubborn way. "Hima, you're afraid because you fear that one day your own flesh and blood will come back at you without a word to get you and your husband on the run. That's why I had to do it." Kikyo pulls out the earring she made Kyoko wore. "And this has everything I have." She smugly tells her. "So where is Kyoko? I bet she's in juvy." Hima spoke sarcastically. Kikyo looks at her serious this time. "No, she's not in juvy. She's in the hospital.

Hima didn't see this coming. "The hospital? What happened to her?" She presses her face to the plexiglass window. Kikyo came with an idea. "Why should I answer you after for all the horrible treatment you've done to your daughter. Maybe it's because of you and your husband abusing her that went out of hand for her to be sent there." She retorted to her. There's no way that Kikyo is going to show or tell any mercy to this woman. "Please. I need to know where my daughter is." Now she's beginning to be demanding this time. Kikyo shrugs. "I'll cooperate when you're in a better shape than you are now." And for that, she hangs up and leaves the booth, leaving a mother who is now in a hysterical state.


	23. Chapter 23

**Chapter 23: Temple Havoc**

Kagome flops herself onto her bed, exhausted. 'I don't get it why Kikyo would find it easy to get through this hard core training.' She groans as she tries to go to sleep since it's the middle of the afternoon. Just when she about to fall completely asleep her door opens up, "Hey Kagome, up and at 'em." Inuyasha tickles her sides. Within the contact of her sensitive Kagome can't stop laughing. "Please, Inuyasha." She begs ash she tries to get out of his grasp. "No way. You're coming with me as we speak." Inuyasha hoist her over his shoulder and runs out her window.

Inuyasha puts her down by the end of the block. "Why are you taking me to your place?" She asks him. Inuyasha shakes his head. "No, we're going to Miroku's house. Our friends are going to meet us there as we speak." He answers the question as they walk on the street Miroku's house and temple resides on.

In the temple, Miroku and Mushin observe the statue as it rattles. "What is going on with the statue, my boy?" Mushin asks the monk as they continue their concern predicament. Miroku comes closer to the statue and then quickly steps back. "I sense an evil beyond recognition." He answers the question. Mushin looks beyond at the seal that Miroku and Kikyo used on it. "Miroku, look." Mushin calls out. Miroku gasps as he sees the seal begins to burn off.

Kagome senses something. "Inuyasha. Something's happening at Miroku's temple." She runs towards the building. Inuyasha runs besides her. "What could've happened?" He asks her. Before Kagome answers, she sees Sakura running towards the same place. "Sakura!" She shouts out to her. Sakura sees them. "Oh hey. I just had this feeling that I would need to help out in anyway I can." She replies as they get close to the temple.

Miroku pulls out a few sutras. "Evil Begone!" He shouts as the sutras make contact on to the statue to make sure that the spirit doesn't go ramped. "I will not be sealed again." The angry spirit shouts as it manages to burn off the new sutra that Miroku placed on. The impact of the blast sends Mushin and Miroku to the wall.

Inuyasha, Kagome, Sango, and Sakura run up the stairs. "I could've sworn that Miroku is going to pull a fast on me but I guess I was wrong." Sango said as she runs into the building. Inuyasha sniffs the area. "Anything?" Kagome asks him. "They're in the far back. Come on." He runs as they head in that direction. They turn the corner of the hallway and seeing Kikyo in front of it. "Kikyo, what's going on in there?" Kagome asks her sister gently. Kikyo keeps hold of her pose. "Miroku and his master are doing everything they can to prevent Kyoko from escaping this room. I cannot let you in." She answers nonchalantly to them.

A bang from inside the room gets their immediate attention. "Miroku!" Sango shouts as she is about to open the door, but Kagome grabs her upper arm. "No Sango. Don't go in there. You heard what my sister said." She reminds her. Sango growls softly as she yanks her grasp arm away from Kagome. "If we can't get in through the door, where could there be another opening be?" Sakura asks as she looks around the layout of the temple. By the looks of it, the halls are just normal with doors, walls, floorboards, and windows. Wait, windows. "Inuyasha do you have any idea how this temple is built?" Kagome asks as she looks around the area. Inuyasha sniffs thoroughly. "The closest window is at the second floor." He answers quietly as he turns around to see Kikyo still concentration on her task.

Kagome and Sango know which way since Sango comes here more often than anyone has. "Sakura, come with us. Inuyasha make sure you protect Kikyo so that no one can harm her." Sango tells him as the others go upstairs to the second floor. Inuyasha nods as he just stays put and do as he is told. Sango leads the way towards the room that is just above the room. "This room's window is just over the one. "I think I can get you in through a makeshift swing." She gives her idea. Sakura and Kagome opens the window to make sure it's true. Kagome look over the window sill to see that there's a window just below them. "What a minute." Sakura stops Kagome's first attempt. "What's the matter?" She asks in a bit a annoyance. "Not to be mean or anything, but since Kikyo is protecting the room by the door, wouldn't the window be sealed off as well?" She theorizes to them.

Sango nods in improvement. "She has a point. Normal humans wouldn't be able to get through such a powerful barrier. Even a demon like myself isn't able to do so. Which means that another priestess should be able to go through regardless of Kikyo's powers." Sango explains the scenario. Hearing Sango saying that another priestess is capable to get through made Kagome widen her eyes. "You're preferring to me, aren't you?" She points at her. Sango smiles innocently, "I never said anything about have another priestess. Not that I _know_ any other priestess in this temple. I might be going haywire." Kagome knows Sango's method of saying that she's not a priestess, well like an amateur. For sure they're in a real predicament.

Kagome sighs in defeat. "Fine. I'm just a rookie. But I know about one thing about getting through Kikyo's barrier." Sakura and Sango smile at her. "If I can just use as much power as I can at Kikyo's level, I should be able to pass through." She explains her idea. Sakura walks around the room to see if there's anything they can use to help Kagome. "Do you know at what level Kikyo's level is?" Sango asks her carefully. Kagome holds her chin, thinking very hard. "If I'm good to think how high Kikyo's level is, but I think she's at level 45." She answers so far. "And what level are you at, Kagome?" Sango asks this time.

Kagome frowns, "I'm at level 13. Not good enough for me to pass through the barrier." She sits down in low self-esteem. Sakura kneels down to her. "What if we could just distract Kikyo to lower her level so you can get boost your own and pass the barrier." She gives her idea. Kagome smiles a little. "That could work, but I don't want to go behind her back." She frowns again. Sango can see it now. Kagome doesn't want to use the stuff she used against her.


	24. Chapter 24

**Chapter 24: Final Confrontation**

Miroku struggles to stay conscious. "Still stubborn to stay down." Kyoko smirks at the monk as she looks for her exit. As she spot the window, her smirk grew. "Ah there it is. Free at last." But when she made it to the window, a barrier blocks her way. "What is the meaning of this?" She shouts as she keeps on trying to get out. "Kikyo came as soon as she could to prevent you from escaping. Not in this, nor this temple." Miroku explains to her. Kyoko growls, "That bitch. I should've known sooner or later she'd came after me." Miroku pulls another sutra from his robe. "You honestly believe that your own sutras can do any good for you?" Kyoko crosses her arms in arrogance. Miroku groans as he tries to stand up correctly to make the right pose. "Don't bother. My escape from the statue's power did a number on you and your master." She states the obvious.

Miroku turns to see Mushin is still out cold when he tried to help him out. "True. I may be down, but I'm not out." He protests as he concentrates his own spiritual powers and throw the sutra at her. Kyoko rolls her eyes and slashes it like knife slicing through butter. "How long do you intend to keep me in here?" She asks him. Miroku groans. "Not me. It's Kikyo who's keeping you in here just in case I'm out of commission." He answers but then realized what he just said. Kyoko grins wickedly. "Oh so if I just kill you right then and there, Kikyo won't be able to keep my here. Fine with me."

Kagome climbs down the window via through the robe that was in the temple close by. Sakura goes do to Kikyo to see if their plan can work in their favor. Sango holds onto the other end of the robe so that Kagome wouldn't fall down below. "How much further down are you, Kagome?" Sango asks. Kagome looks underneath to see that she's just above the window's top. "Just a little more." She shouts back. Sango lowers the robe down to make sure Kagome is right by the window.

Sakura runs down to the level towards Inuyasha and Kikyo. "Sakura. What is it?" Inuyasha as he sees her panting. "Kagome…wants…to…confront…Kyoko." She breathes out every word. "I'm afraid I cannot do that." Kikyo replies back. "Why not?" Sakura asks in slight annoyance. "One slip on my concentration can break my barrier thus letting Kyoko go crazy around. I cannot let that happen." She simply answers as well as hold her powers up. "I knew that already. But what about your sister? Kyoko is also after her." Sakura points to her as she walks to the priestess. "That's why I cannot involve Kagome into this. I would never hear the end of it as we speak." She refuses to let her guard down. Sakura growls. "Honestly, Kikyo. I want you to know that Kagome is trying everything she can to help you out, but you don't seem to care about her at all." She shouts out in frustration.

Hearing that made Kikyo open her eyes with wrath. "How dare you accuse me after all I have done for you. The reason I don't want Kagome to do this is because I cannot simply sit by and do nothing. I had what I did to protect her from this person who made her suffer from her own jealousy. When I first heard what happened, I had to step up and do whatever. When I found out I was priestess, I knew I could use this in my favor to make sure that Kagome is happy, even if she's not supposed to."

Kagome sensed something as if Kikyo is distracted in some way. Without wasting another second, she sees the barrier beginning to dim. 'Now's my chance.' She shouts and swings into the window and through the tapestry. She lands onto her own side. Kyoko widens her eyes. "Kagome? What are you doing here?" she asks rather dumbly. Kagome stands back up. "I'm here to confront you, Kyoko. And if I were you, I'd think about for what's going to happen when this is over." She warns her with a determination in her voice.

Kikyo shots her attention to the door. "Oh no." She murmurs in surprise. "What is it?" Inuyasha runs up to her. "I can sense Kagome go into the room. But how?" She tells them as she stands up and opens up the doors quickly. In front of her is the one scene she never wanted to see in her life. In front of her is her own sister Kagome in the room with Kyoko. "Kagome, get out here. You're no match against her." Kikyo shouts.

All Kagome does is raise her hand to stop. "No. I'm not going anywhere. You've done all you can to protect me from her. But now I have to step up for myself and deal with this problem." She keeps her sight at the girl who made her suffer from one incident three years. Kyoko stares between them. "So you're going to let your little sister take matters into her own hands?" She chuckles at the scene. Kikyo is about to step in, but Inuyasha takes her shoulder and shakes his head. "This is her fight." He just tells her as he watches the scene unfold.

Kyoko and Kagome begin to walk in circles and keep their eyes on each other. "So what's it going to be, Kagome? Are you going to do what Kikyo did to me three years ago?" She keeps on mocking Kagome. It doesn't seem to faze her. "No. nothing like that. I have something else in mind to use." She answers as they keep on circling each other. Kagome observes their positions. From what she can see so far, she can tell Kyoko is trying to get close enough to someone in particular. 'oh no.' She widens her eyes. "Kikyo, get going now!" Kagome shouts at the top of her lungs.


	25. Chapter 25

**Chapter 25: Control & Conflict**

Kikyo can see why Kagome was off guard so quickly. The way they were circling each other was to prevent Kyoko to possess Kikyo's body. Hearing her sister's cry, she position her fingers and forms a barrier around herself, as well as Inuyasha and Sakura who were close to her. Kyoko slams onto the surface of the barrier. "Impressive as always." She comments the scene. She turns around that Kagome has a different position in her fingertips. Soon enough Kagome's own barrier gathers Kyoko into it. "What's the meaning of this?" Kyoko bangs the barrier from the inside since she's trapped. Kagome keeps her pose. "I'm sending you back to your own body." Kikyo answers the question.

Kyoko frightens her eyes, "No please. I'm not going back there!" She cries in plea. Kikyo repositions her fingers. "You left me no choice but to do this, Kyoko." She speak before making her disappear. Kagome comes up to her. "You okay?" She asks her worriedly. Kikyo nods and looks up to her sister with a look of disbelief. "Why did you go in there?" She asks immediately. Kagome sighs, "Look, Kikyo. I'm made my decision when I came to realize to face her. I cannot let you do this in order to make me feel safe. Even though I should thank you for that, which I do. There's going to be a time that I have to do this on my own." Kagome explains her reason before she leaves her sister's side and head to Miroku and his master.

Kikyo knows better. Her sister has a good point. Kikyo has done whatever she can to keep her sister safe from that being. But just as Kagome pointed out, she has to step down and let her fight her own battles. Kikyo looks up ahead to see Kagome and her friends to check on the two monks. "Is he going to be okay?" Kikyo hears her sister's concerned voice. Sango and Inuyasha pick up the older monk. "He's just unconscious." Inuyasha assures her as he and Sango get Miroku back onto his feet. "Kagome. You go with your sister and Sakura." Inuyasha tells her straightforward. Kagome looks up to him in surprised. "Me? Why?" Inuyasha takes hold of her shoulder.

"You made it clear that you need to finish this resolve. I believe you can pull it off." He presses his forehead to hers. Upon the contact between them, Kagome let her tears fall down her cheeks. "Thank You." She mutters and kisses him on the cheek and leaves the room. Miroku comes to. "What did I miss?" He asks the group. Inuyasha blushes a tiny bit. "You missed one hell of a show." He answers the guy casually.

Kagome runs out the temple with Sakura. "That was amazing, Kagome." Sakura gets rid of the silence. "Huh what?" She turns her heads. Sakura smirks, "Don't be coy. The way you stood up for yourself in front of Kyoko. I would never imagine that would really happen." She admits to her. Kagome nods but not smiling though. "What's wrong?" Sakura asks with sad look. Kagome sighs deeply. "I don't know. I just have mixed feelings about what I did." She replies. "Like what?" Sakura asks way too curiously. Kagome holds her chin. "First off I was angry for how long my sister had to keep this from me. Well ever since Kyoko came back. The next was that I was afraid to face Kyoko for what she did to me. But then I was brave enough to build up the courage that I was missing throughout this time. But in the end, I feel sorry for her." She details her times. Sakura nods to show that she understands. However the final part got her dumbfounded, "Why do you feel sorry for Kyoko?" Kagome blinks her eyes to remember what she just said earlier. "I think the reason why I feel sorry for her is what she was going through." She explains too simply.

Kikyo arrives at the hospital where she found Kyoko, in a coma. "Oh hey there." A familiar voice welcomes her. Kikyo turns around to see it's the same person from the other day. "Oh, hello. I just found out something about Kyoko Pumatino. Is she still in her room?" Kikyo smiles at the worker. The worker nods her head. "Right this way." She leads to Kikyo to the room where Kyoko's body is. Upon entering, the room isn't any different than the last time Kikyo was here. Same bed, same patient chained to the bed's posts. "So what is it that you found?" The worker asks her.

Kikyo must come up with something not to so frighten the worker. "If I answer your question, would you believe me?" She turns her head. The worker smiles confidently. "I'm a pastor, so don't worry about me." She proves it with a tag from another. "I'm a priestess and I can demonstrate a spell." She smiles back. The worker nods her head eagerly. Kikyo shrugs her shoulders, "Ok, you asked for it." Kikyo positions her fingers. "I hereby call upon the spirit I have captured." She speaks in her incantation. Soon enough the barrier she trapped Kyoko in reappears out of thin air. "Where are we?" Kyoko speaks as she looks around.

"Now, miss. I request you to leave this room at once." She calmly orders the worker. The worker nods and does as she was told. "Why though?" She asks before getting to the door. "What I'm going to preform her is a dangerous one. I cannot guarantee that you might get hurt in the process." Kikyo warns her in the end. The worker just leaves the room and let's Kikyo do her thing.

Once the worker closes the door, Kikyo positions her fingers to force the barrier to the bed. "Do you recognize something here, Kyoko?" Kikyo asks her capturer. Kyoko looks to see what's on the bed. Her eyes widens, "That's me." She answers the question. Kikyo on the other hand is getting satisfied with her work. "Want to know why your body is here?" She asks her next question. Kyoko observes her own body on the bed. And then she sees something that made her gasp. "Why are there handcuffs on me?" She points the scene while looking a Kikyo. Kikyo removes the covers of the bed. "They chained you because according to the staff, you may be in a coma but there are times that you would somehow go out of control so they have to keep you chained down so you wouldn't hurt anybody." Kikyo explains the scene to her.

Kyoko is beyond scared about this. "So why is it that you brought me other than give me the heads up?" Kikyo walks to the other side of the bed. "Isn't it obvious? I've brought you here so I can put your soul back into the body. Simple as that." She replies. "And there's something you have to do when this is finished." She spoke ever so seriously, "And what is that you want me to do?" Kyoko crosses her arms stubbornly. "I want you to confront your own parents and tell them what you had to go through."


	26. Chapter 26

**Chapter 26: One Chance**

Kagome and Sakura walk down the sidewalk, no interested on going anywhere in particular. Not like it didn't matter to them. A weird sensation gets Kagome's spine the chill. Sakura turns around finding that Kagome is standing still. "Kagome, what is it?" She asks her. Kagome somehow is turning around. "Hey, where are you going?" She watches Kagome going somewhere. Sakura looks up ahead to see which way Kagome is heading towards. Shocking enough, up ahead is a hospital. "Wait a minute, Kagome." Sakura comes up in front of her and holds onto her shoulder. "I must go." Kagome spoke nonchalantly. That alone is more than enough to get Sakura very worried. She turns around to see a window from the hospital building glowing pink. "I must be with Kikyo." Kagome spoke again. Sakura can't afford having Kagome putting herself into a dangerous situation she has no idea of.

Kikyo concentrates her powers to force Kyoko's spirit back into the body on the bed. Upon contact between the body and spirit, a pink glow shines fiercely around the room. The shine dims down quickly as Kikyo pants for using so much power to put Kyoko's spirit into her body. Kikyo looks up to Kyoko trying to break from the handcuffs on her wrists. "Release me this instant." Kyoko calls out to Kikyo.

Sakura keeps on holding onto Kagome's arms to stop her from going towards the hospital. "Kagome. Please you got to fight it off." She begs. "I must go." Kagome keeps on saying the same thing. That is until, Sakura's grip slips out of Kagome's hand, thus making Kagome in a sprinting mode. "Oh no." Sakura runs as fast she can. "There's no way I can catch her." She said as she pants because she's not a good runner. That is until something zipped passed her and grabs Kagome. "Inuyasha!" Sakura smiles as she see him hold onto Kagome in a tight grip, not letting her get away. "She's being drawn to the hospital." Inuyasha simply tells her. Sakura widens her eyes. "What is drawing her to it?" She asks him. Inuyasha looks up to the hospital.

"My guess is that Kikyo is forcing Kyoko back into her body." Miroku answers the question with Sango by his side. "Buy what is drawing Kagome to the hospital?" Sakura asks him while Inuyasha is holding Kagome from breaking free. "Isn't it obvious? It's spiritual powers from Kikyo that is drawing her sister's powers to make it work." Miroku explains as he looks up towards the hospital as well. The light dims down as Kagome faints into Inuyasha's arms. Inuyasha shakes her, "Hey, wake up." He speaks to her. Kagome moans and opens her eyes, "What on earth happened to me? I was walking with Sakura. How did I get all the way over here?" She looks around herself. "You mean you don't remember?" Sakura leans to her a bit too close.

Kagome blinks her eyes in confusion. "Remember what?" She asks them. "You were in a trance heading towards the hospital." Sango speaks this time. Kagome looks towards the hospital. "Really. I had no idea?" She scratches her head trying to think back before her trance. "It must've been Kikyo. She was using some of your spiritual powers to cast a spell to force Kyoko back into the body." Miroku explains to her. Kagome somehow feels a little drained. "Well it's no wonder why I'm sleep all of a sudden." She rubs her eyes.

Kikyo walks out of the room with a hooded figure behind her. "Are you going to be okay?" She asks the person. "More than I ever was." The figure replies back. Kikyo nods, "Then let's go." She leads the figure behind her. A few blocks away, Inuyasha sniffs a the air. "What are you smelling?" Sango asks the hanyou. Inuyasha, "I smell Kikyo leaving the hospital. Along with a hidden figure." He answers as he and the other catch up on the block where Kikyo and the figure are currently walking on. "Where is she going?" Kagome asks him. Inuyasha looks up ahead to see the police station. "It turns out she's going to the police station." He answers her question.

Kagome looks at him in disbelief. "She didn't commit any crime? Why go there?" She asks him. Inuyasha silently sniffs the air and then realizes what he's smelling. "It's the hooded figure that I'm smelling. It's Kyoko." He clarifies her. Kagome is about to go after her, but Inuyasha takes hold of her wrist. "No. Kyoko must do this on her own. Kikyo is going there as moral support." He stops her. Kagome really wants to go in see it for herself. But she then decides to do what Inuyasha just told. "Kikyo, be careful." She silently wishes for her sister's safety.

Inside the station, Kikyo and Kyoko walk into the room with the where all the phones are available for those in jail and the other for a safe distance. "There's one open right there." Kikyo points to the open booth. The hidden figure sits down and waits for the other person. A few seconds a later Hima comes into the booth. "Who are you?" She asks rather rudely. Hearing such tone stiffens the figure. 'Ok, remain calm.' She tells herself. The figure pulls her hood over head to reveal who she is. "Kyoko?" Hima is down-right shocked to see her own daughter. "Hello, mother." Kyoko speaks in hidden anger.

Kikyo waits in the lobby. "I hope she's okay. There's no telling what might happen in there." She spoke softly, not to alarm any other individual in the station. Kagome walks into the station a few minutes later. Kikyo looks up to her sister calmly. "I guess my last spell got your attention." She smiles weakly to her. Kagome sighs as she just sits by her sister. "More or less. Listen, Kikyo. I know what you've been doing was for my sake, and I shouldn't be curious about it, but there are times that the skeletons in closet must be remain hidden for reasons, for another's sake." She speaks with such wisdom in her. Kikyo nods, "I'm sorry what I did behind your back, not that I wanted you to know anything about it. I just don't want you to feel bad about this. Having it on me is bad enough, but you having to go with it is another problem I cannot solve. That's why I had to keep it hidden from you." She lets her tears slide down her cheeks.

Kyoko glares at Hima. "Seriously, mom. Why would you do this to me? I demand an explanation." She glares in wrath. Hima knew that there would a point in time that she cannot hold back more than she can handle. "And it better not be the same one from court." Kyoko adds in the missing detail. Hima didn't see that coming. 'So she knows about me and my husband's exes. No surprise there.' She sighs in her head. "Alright, you want the truth." She speaks into the phone. Kyoko nods to let her continue. A few of moving lips made Kyoko stiff cold of what Hima just told her.


	27. Chapter 27

**Chapter 27: Life and Death**

Kyoko just couldn't believe what her mother just told her. "We're not of this world? You're joking. You lying." She protests to her in a nerve wreaking way. All Hima does is shake her head. "I'm sorry. But I had to keep this hidden for your own good. It's hard to really accept this. If we told you at an earlier time, you'd think otherwise." Hima calms her down. Kyoko is now horrified about this new information.

All of a sudden Sato comes into the booth with Hima. "Dad, please tell me what she told me was a lie." Kyoko begs him. Sato shows the shame look. "She is telling the truth, Kyoko. We had no choice but to hide this from you." Kyoko had to think of something to prove them wrong. "If we're like what you just say, why is that we're like everybody else? You could at least tell me that much." Kyoko speaks up, hoping her plan to work in her favor.

Hima and Sato roll up their sleeves to show their daughter something that she has never seen before. "This is the mark of our banishment." Sato simply tells her. From the looks of the mark is a star of some sort. "Banishment from what?" She can see that her plan might be failing much faster that she though. Sato rolls down the sleeve. "You see Kyoko. We're from a group of foreigners and from we had to go through wasn't really pleasant at the least. When we found out that your mother was pregnant, we had to flee from them. The one rule that we weren't supposed to have is a have a pregnant woman." Sato explains so far. Kyoko looks up the arm that her parents have. "You don't have the mark because the group weren't aware of your existence." Hima points out the missing piece. "But what weren't you allowed to be pregnant in the first place?" Kyoko asks her. Hima sighs, "The group doesn't believe the appearances of us woman. One slip up of the body, that woman is to be killed immediately."

Kyoko didn't see that coming. "Mom. If you said that 'we're not of this world' did it really happen to you?" She asks so worriedly. Hima and Sato looked at each other to find the best way to answer this difficult question. "Unfortunately we were notice by that time and killed on the spot…" Sato starts off. "…however someone were able to revive us." Hima takes over the conversation. Kyoko raised her eyebrow. "Really and who was is that did it?" She asks sarcastically this time. Hima and Sato are well aware of their daughter's sarcasm. No matter how much they have to tell her about their past, it was hard to persuade her. "Her name was Midoriko Higurashi." Hima tells her daughter seriously.

Kyoko gasps in shock. "Higurashi? Is she related to Kikyo and Kagome?" She asks as well. Sato nods his head. "She happens to be their grandmother." She answers the question ever so seriously. Kyoko is now shocked, not how to react to this information. "The reason she did this is to show you how to understand on to live as a living being even though you're really dead. Even when you were born, I had to teach you on how to protect yourself. But when we were informed about you injuring Kagome three years ago…" Sato begins the story. "…it was you who wanted me to hurt her. Not me." She disagrees with this. Hima raised her hand. "We did what we had to do. It was just test to see what the outcome. But I didn't expect that Takahashi would go through with this. We were horrified that we went into hiding. Encountering them would be a dreadful one." Hima tells her.

Kyoko is so deep in her thought. But then she hangs up the phone and leaves the room. Hima and Sato weren't expected that. They just told their daughter the terrible truth, and all she does is leave the room. Talk about rude. Hima hangs up the phone on her side of the window. "She'll come around." Sato said to her as she stands back up from the seat. "I don't know, Sato. From what we know so far, it'd be as if Kyoko doesn't want to know any more about our history." He holds onto her shoulder to calm her down. Hima sighs as she looks at the door Kyoko went through. 'I leave my faith into your hands now, Higurashi.' She thought, but not sure which one she's relying on in particular.

Kikyo and Kagome just talk among themselves. Just then the door opens to reveal Kyoko with a hurt expression. "Kyoko. What happened?" Kikyo asks her. Kyoko walks right pass her. "I just want to let you know that I'm sorry." She tells Kagome in the eye and leaves the station. Kagome and Kikyo look out the window to see Kyoko running off the distance. "What could've made Kyoko be like this?" Kagome asks her sister. Kikyo narrows her eyes, "My guess is her parents." She claims with expression of confrontation. 'And this time, I'm getting to the root of this. One way or another.' She is about to go into the room until Kagome's hand gets onto hers first. "Not alone. I'm coming too." She said to her adamantly. Kikyo smiles, Alright then. Let's get to the bottom of this." And for that they enter the room with confidence in their eyes.

Kyoko walks aimlessly along the sidewalks, not caring where it leads her. 'So I'm one of the dead, and yet I'm revived.' She keeps telling herself with sad look. After talking with her parents, she doesn't know who to turn to, no one to help her with this unknown struggle she found herself in. She lifts her chin to see herself heading to a boardwalk overlooking the beach. With nothing else to do, she decides to go there. 'Maybe over there will set things straight.' She thinks with a slight optimism.

Kagome and Kikyo exit out the room they went in. "Could you believe them?" Kagome asks in utter nonsense. Kikyo narrows her eyes. "Believe me, Kagome. I know a lie when I hear one." She assures her as they walk out of the station. "How was it that you were able to tell that they were lying?" Kagome asks her curiously. Kikyo blinks her eyes slowly. "When they were lying, there's a one way to tell, and that's in their aura. Whenever the aura is gray, it shows that they were lying from the very beginning. My guess is that they lied to their own daughter without me knowing it. We have to find her." Kikyo speaks as they use their own powers to track the girl down.


	28. Chapter 28

**Chapter 28: The Choice of Faith**

Kyoko looks along the ocean's surface. Seeing how the sunlight is reflecting off the surface makes her think of something. "Am I just a reflection of someone else?" She asks to no one. Even seeing the sun setting beyond the horizon, leaving the skies in a few hues of oranges, pinks, and purples. Just looking at them made her calm in a strange way. She turns her head to see she's getting to the end of the boardwalk. When she makes it to the end, she just stood there. 'Where do I go from here on out?' She frowns, not having the answer to her question. She just looks around to see a cliff up ahead. Kyoko walks up the hill to see what could be on the other side of the sea.

Kagome and Kikyo arrive the boardwalk. "Why come here of all places?" Kagome asks her sister. Kikyo looks up ahead of themselves, seeing a few other people just minding their own businesses. "Hey." A voice get their attention. "Oh, hi guys." Kagome smiles as their friends come up to them. "What are you guys doing here?" Kagome asks Inuyasha. Inuyasha crosses his arms, "It's not like I was wondering around. I just spotted Kyoko heading this way a few minutes ago." He blushes in responds. Miroku elbows him, "Will you quit fooling yourself? We're here to find Kyoko." He explains their arrival. Inuyasha sniffs the air. "Kyoko is up this way." He runs in that direction.

Kyoko stands on the cliff's edge, just observing the scene in front of her. "Why?" She silently tells herself. That is until the ledge begins to crack beneath her. Kyoko loses her balance grabs the edge. She screams at the top of her lungs. "Someone! Help me!" Even though she screamed, she's losing her grip quickly. 'I guess that there's point of me to live in this world.' She smiles as tears spill out her closed eyes. Just when she about to let go of the ledge, another hand takes it.

Kyoko looks up to see Kagome taking her wrist. "Kyoko. Hang on. We're going to get you back up." She shouts as she tries to pull her back up. "Release me, Kagome. I don't deserve to be in this world." Kyoko protests her, hoping for Kagome let go of her wrist. "Are you crazy? Who would ever tell you such a thing? No one deserves that, not even you." Kagome disagrees with her seriously this. Kyoko shakes her eyes. "You may say that to cheer me up, but you know that it's not true." Kyoko tries to force Kagome to lose her grip to release her. But then all of a sudden an extra boost of strength pulled her all the way back to the top of the cliff.

Kagome pants as she tries to calm her pounding heart after using all she could to keep Kyoko from falling. "Why?" Kyoko stutters in sorrow. "Why what?" Kagome asks her. Kyoko to look up to see Kagome, Kikyo, Inuyasha, Sakura with other beings she hardly knows. "Why did you save me, even after what I did to you guys?" She asks while being on her hands and knees. Kagome kneels down to her level. "No deserves to dies. What you were told was to commit suicide because your parents are mental and they don't know what they're talking about. They intimidate you to makes sure that you're convince." She speaks so softly. Kyoko sobs, "You guys don't understand. My own parents, myself are actually dead. We were resurrected by a person by the name of Midoriko Higurashi." Kagome and Kikyo look at each other thinking that she's gone mental as well.

Kikyo kneels beside Kagome. "Kyoko, just so to let you know, that me and Kagome don't have a relative who goes by that name. All we know is the Midoriko is a powerful warrior priestess long ago in the warring states era. We don't know how me and Kagome were born as priestesses ourselves. All we can say is that it was just stroke of faith that bestowed upon." Kikyo explains thoroughly about what she knows personally. Then Kagome places her hand onto Kyoko's. Upon connection, Kagome concentrates what she's seeing in Kyoko's mind

 _A baby is crying, all alone. No one is taking care of it. "Oh you poor thing." A female voice speaks gently as she picks up the baby and keeps it warm. "Who could just abandon you sweetie?" She begins taking it home. When she arrives at her home, the woman begins to bundle the baby in a little blanket. The baby opens her eyes to see who is it. "I see you're an orphan. I was walking into town and found two dead bodies. After sensing that you look somehow like them, I suspect that they're parents." She begins to rock it. "But don't worry. I'll take care of you from now on." She smiles down to it._

 _The woman is a young adult and has long black hair and blue eyes. Her skin is flawless. She observes the baby, knowing it's a girl. And then she spots something on the baby's arm. A star. "Oh, I see now. You're a survivor." She points out. She also sees something else. A tag. "Kyoko. So your name is Kyoko." She smiles. As time went by, Kyoko is captured by a duo. She's just a baby and then she was abused on an endless time of everyday._

 _The weird thing is that even through the torture she endured, she didn't contacted the Child Protected service to remove her from her 'guardians.'_

Kagome realizes why Kyoko is like this. "You were an orphan, taken care of a nice woman, but then you were kidnapped by duo." She speaks to nicely. "The duo who kidnapped me were my parents who somehow revived, but they weren't themselves." Kyoko tells her. "But then not called CPS? You could've been in a better place." Kagome reasons with her. Kyoko shakes her head. "Back then, they wouldn't let me contact the authorities. If I did, they'd kill me right then and there." But that's when something begins to happen.

Kagome glows her body with Kyoko. "What's going on?" Sakura asks Kikyo who seems to show a proud expression. "Kagome is sending Kyoko straight to peace." She simply answers. Sakura looks confused. "What are you talking about?" She keeps her sight on the scene. She is about to step in, but Miroku stops her. "She's just sending her to her final resting place." Kikyo makes it sense. Sakura is still confused. "Even though I was able to put her spirit to her body, she couldn't be revived completely. She requested to talk to her parents to know what she wanted to know. Her body was highly weak and couldn't contain anymore. So she wants Kagome to make amends by allowing her to rest in peace." Kikyo said it easier this time.

Soon enough Kyoko's body glows brightly and raises into the air. Not before she disappears, she shows a genuine smile. "Thank you." She spoke nicely. No remorse, no anger, not even regret. Kagome looks up and knows she did the right thing. Sakura comes up to her. "Are you going to be okay?" She asks her worriedly. Kagome stands back up. "Yeah. I just used too much of my powers." She smiles before Inuyasha runs over and catches her from falling. "That's why Kagome is the nicest person you would ever know." Inuyasha carries her bridal style. "And we couldn't ask for a better friend like her." Sango smiles as well. Sakura couldn't agree with her more. "We just had to help a struggling soul, who had no idea that she was dead the entire time, and no one were aware of it."

Kikyo nods, "She had a serious head injury and was on life support until I put her soul back in. I had no idea that the line in the room went flat just before I did the deed." She speaks with regret. Sakura looks up to her. "You tried saving her even when she was dead for a short period time, you just gave her an opportunity to set things straight with her problems, herself, and her parents." She points out when she was able to do. With nothing else to say, Kikyo just walks away from the group. Sakura nods, and decides to do the same. "So we just move on ahead, and let the past be the past." Miroku suggests to the group.

And with that everyone went their separate way, as Inuyasha leaps from one house roof to the next to take Kagome home. He looks down to her with a smile, "You did great, Kagome. I'm proud of you." Kagome moans happily. "You don't know how long I was waiting for you to say that to me." She smiles at him, making him blush. "You have one hell of a poker face." He comments for how she was able to pull such stuff. Kagome blushes in return. "So I guess that poker face is gone." He said playfully as they get back to Kagome's house. Kagome nods, "It is for now. There's no telling what the future will hold for us." She looks up to him with the same look. Without wasting another second, Kagome reaches up to Inuyasha and send him a sweet kiss.

Inuyasha was off guard and couldn't get over the connection between this kiss Kagome has so bolding admitted to him. He cups her cheek and returns the kiss without a second thought. As far as they know, a certain person is grateful to help her finding her way and is now in peace. And for that, she's no longer traumatized anymore.

THE END.


End file.
